Infected
by Himitsu no Tokumei
Summary: Riku, a 17-year old teenager, works as a host for a man named Ansem.  Unknown to him, Ansem is a vampire, and after watching Riku for a while, decides to turn him.  Trying to turn back human, he kills... AU, RikuxSora, AkuRoku, Cleon.  Full Summary Inside
1. Chapter 1: Dazed

Full Summary: Riku, a 17-year old teenager, works as a host for a man named Ansem. Unknown to him, Ansem is a vampire, and after watching Riku for a while, decides to turn him. Trying to turn back human, he kills his sire, successfully leaving him alone in this new body (not that he's want to learn from Ansem anyway, but still). Upset and confused, he turns to his best friend, Sora, whom he has had a major crush on (bordering on love) for the last several years. The two start going out despite Riku knowing the dangers about himself that Sora is completely oblivious to. Other characters include Roxas, Sora's twin brother, Kairi, Sora's friend, Leon, a vampire hunter, Axel, Leon's apprentice, and Cloud, a master vampire Leon is mercilessly pursuing.

Pairings: RikuxSora, AkuRoku, Cleon

Warnings: Shounen Ai/Yaoi, Blood, Gore, Violent themes

Okay, I have 3 other fanfictions going and college, so I cannot say how often I will write in this. Though, my other three fanfictions are Digimon ones and I really need to get farther in them so I can get back into them more, and this one is new, so I might write in this one more than the others. For those of you reading my other ones, I will still try and keep up with the pace I am doing them, wince I am only typing this one at home on my computer. That should make things a little easier.

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Dazed**

He leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. A deep, burning sensation rose in his throat, something he had yet to understand. The air around him seemed heavy, stale, almost poisonous to his lungs, as if he only breathed it in out of habit. His eyes were just starting to regain their focus, exiting the strange fog his entire body had been in for the last couple hours. Limbs heavy with exhaustion, Riku tried to stumble his way down the alley.

Feet slipping in a puddle, the silver-haired teenager was too tired to catch himself and landed harshly on the ground. Panting from the strange, painful sensations coursing through his body, Riku stayed down for a moment, hoping to catch his breath. It didn't work, just as he thought it wouldn't. He had been wandering, disoriented and confused, for what he guessed to be a couple hours, at least. Nothing had changed except the growing heat in his throat and (finally) the clearing of his vision.

Weakly putting his hands under him, Riku struggled to get back to his feet. Lifting himself to the length of his arms, the young male looked down to notice something quite strange and frightening in his reflection in the puddle: his once teal eyes were now crystalline ruby. A gasp escaped his throat, showing a small flash of fangs. His enhanced eyes caught the small glimpse, and he tentatively brings an unsteady hand up to move his lip out of the way to see it better. His canine teeth have grown, forming into quite distinguishable fangs. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what has happened, and Riku is anything but dumb. The memory slowly seeps into his clouded mind, the reason he is no longer human.

* * *

_He stretched and yawned, feeling the tiredness seep into his bones after a long night's work. He looked older than his seventeen years of age, so no one questioned why he worked in a host bar. He lived in a more unruly part of the city anyway, and most of the people who knew him and knew where he worked were simply glad he wasn't selling drugs or knocking up girls and booze. His silver hair fell into his face and he laughingly swatted it away, putting up the last of the chairs. "Riku, could you come here?" he heard the manager say._

_Turning to see the taller man, the faithful employee said, "Yeah, coming." Not seeing the need to hurry, he casually strolled, towards the back door to his boss' office. "Do you need me for something, Ansem?" he asked, the dark-skinned light-haired man having insisted on not being called 'Sir' or 'Mister.'_

_"I've been watching you for a while, Riku," he stated simply. "You work hard and never complain. Your looks and talents are far above those of my other employees, would you not agree?"_

_The teenager chuckled a little and held up his hands in silent protest. "I wouldn't say that," Riku replied. "We all work to the best of our abilities, and I wouldn't say I'm better looking than any of them." Ansem smiled at that._

_"And you're modest, too. All great qualities." Riku could pretty much feel the change in the air at this point. Looking at the boy slyly, the older male asked, "Do you want a promotion, Riku?"_

_His blue-green eyes lit up slightly at that, his mind wandering to what he might do with that extra money. _I could get Sora something…_ he thought, but quickly forced it down. _I mustn't think of him like that._ he insisted, having worked up a good barrier over the years to fight back those thoughts. "I do not really have a say in it, but I cannot say I wouldn't want one," he finally answered._

_Ansem smirked at that, hearing the answer he had hoped for. "If you want a promotion, then come here," the man beckoned. Riku suddenly became cautious, backing away from the man. "Now, now, I'm not going to ask anything indecent from you like sex," he assured, which didn't relieve much of the teenager's suspicions. He had cousins who worked in places like this be raped by their boss, and he was not going to fall victim to that as well. "I promise, now come here boy."_

_Slow steps brought him closer to the other platinum-haired person in the room, calculating the man's actions before he moved. He still didn't trust the man, and the first indication things were going to turn sexual he was out of there._

_"Caution, another good quality to have," Ansem said, standing and moving over to his employee. Reaching out, he gently grasped Riku's chin, turning his head to the side and lowering his face to the young male's pale neck. "Shh… this will only hurt a bit."_

_He was about to pull away, but it was too late by then. Two sharp jabs simultaneously pierced his neck, sending a painful heat through his veins. There was the distinct feeling of blood gushing from his carotid artery, dizziness ensuing from the decreased amount of oxygenated blood to his brain. He had the strange feeling something foreign was being introduced to his system at the same time, something that burned through his tissues and slowed his heart. His entire body began to shake, vision blurring, strength depleting, breath catching in his throat. The last things he remembered before he passed out was the feeling of suffocating in a room full of air and the sensation that his body was burning up from the inside out._

* * *

His hand plastered over his mouth, it was only then that Riku realized he had stopped breathing when he recalled the events from earlier that night. Or was it that night? He honestly didn't know how long he had been out. Sitting so he was leaning against the wall, shaking from fear and an immense sadness, the boy hesitantly ran his tongue over his fangs, confirming they were still there. His thirst flared in his throat again, adding another bit of proof to the conclusion that he was now a vampire. Looking in the puddle again, he moved his long hair away from the left side of his neck, the bite mark that should have there completely healed by now. _Of course,_ he scolded himself, _you're not human anymore so of course you don't heal like one._

A strange scent invaded his nostrils, his crimson eyes glowing slightly in the reflections of the night. It was a smell that drew him by his senses, a smell that he didn't recognize yet, but the monster inside him knew well. It overwhelmed him, blocking out what was left of his humanity to amble almost drunkenly towards the intoxicating aroma. Each corner brought him closer to his destination, though his human mind would not be able to comprehend where he was going until he got there.

To his horror, his improved eyes landed on the form of another human. _You're not human now…_ a solemn side of his mind said defeatedly. The sound of the guy's pulse could be heard, even from his location a good thirty meters away. Saliva began to build up in his mouth at the smell of food, the temptation of blood. Unable to control himself, Riku took labored steps towards his unsuspecting victim.

The man turned to look in his direction when he neared to about five meters. Eyes downcast, the other male could not see his devilish red eyes. "Hey, buddy? You okay?" he asked, trying to see under Riku's veil of hair. "You don't seem so good. Are you sick? Should I call a doct-AH!" His scream echoed as Riku lifted his head, exposing his fierce eyes. Startled, the probably twenty-something-year-old man stepped backwards quickly, tripping over a couple empty pop cans and an overturned bucket, landing solidly on his ass. "St-stay back!" he stuttered, the teenager slowly progressing towards him. He crawled backwards, sweat beading on his forehead from fear, until he ran into the brick wall.. This new smell mingled with the old one in Riku's mouth and nose, driving him forward with greater speed, sensing a helpless meal.

He was pretty much mindless as his stronger than human hands (even in his weakened, newly-turned state) gripped the stranger's wrists, pinning them to the cold stone behind him. Lips parting as he drew closer to the man's throat, a sudden wail sent him back, free hand covering his hurt ears. The man yelled again, obviously pleased with the reaction he got from the first scream. Riku was having none of that, though, and the man was quickly silence by the hand he used to protect his ears. Growling animalisticly, the silver-haired male leaned forward again, forcing the stranger's head to the side to better access his prize.

His fangs hovered for a second over the beating pulse before impatiently piercing the pliable skin. He could hear the cry of pain through his hand, but his beast side ignored it. Even going on instinct, Riku was still an inexperienced vampire, and managed to only graze the man's jugular, opening a small tear in the side instead of stabbing right through it. As such, the warm liquid did not just flow into his mouth. Sucking gently on the skin, Riku finally managed to get his first coppery taste of blood. The warmth was oddly cooling on his burning throat, and the teenager yearned for more to stop the pain he could not quell any other way. Salty tears ran down onto Riku's pale fingers and palm, soft whimpers issuing from the captive man's covered mouth. As the burning went down, Riku's humanity began to return. With his eyes closed and enjoying the taste of whatever juice he was drinking, it took the young male a moment to actually hear the whines.

Eyes shooting open, Riku's mind suddenly comprehended what he was doing. Almost too quick, Riku jerked his head back, fangs almost ripping through more flesh as they withdrew from the stranger's skin. The fresh vampire looked on in just as much terror as him impromptu victim, hands leaving the man and stopping just inches away from his own face. _What have I done?_ His mind reeled, searching for some explanation other than he just drank this man's blood. There was the proof, though, the two neat holes in the side of the stranger's neck that still seeped a small amount of fluid. He was pleased to see it was stopping at least, but could not get over the fact _he_ had caused that injury.

A combination of shock and fear finally overtook the man, and he passed out, a small reprieve to Riku, who at least didn't have to listen to his whimpering now. The stranger's pulse could still be heard, while Riku found he could not find his own beat. Placing two fingers to his throat, it did not surprise him when he didn't find any.

Ashamed, the teenager looked down and to his right, directly into another puddle caused by the previous rain, which was just now starting to drizzle again. He could clearly see his reflection with his vampire eyes, and the twin trails of blood running from the corners of his mouth to his chin. "No…" he whispered almost inaudibly to the rain, unable to look away from what he had become.

"So how did you like it?" came a deep voice, one Riku knew all too well. "How did you like your first taste of blood?"

Hateful eyes turned on him. Riku resisted the urge to bare his fangs in vampiric hostility, still clinging to humanity. "Don't act as if this is some kind of gift, you bastard!" he yelled.

"Now don't be that way, Riku," the older vampire mock scolded. "I have given you one of the greatest presents in the world. You are a vampire now, Riku, so much better than these pathetic humans. It is so easy to simply kill them off." To prove his point, he grabbed the unconscious man's head and turned it sharply, his neck breaking with a loud snap! that startled and sickened the traumatized teen. "You are so much stronger than _them_ now," he said, emphasizing the word with distaste.

"I didn't want this!" Riku yelled, shakily finding his feet. "I never asked to be turned into a monster!" A confident, dark hand reached for him, and Riku reflexively recoiled from it. "Don't touch me! Don't come near me!"

Anger flaring in Ansem's cold eyes, the older male said, "Fine, run then, child. But realize this, _Riku_, you _will _come crawling back to me. You cannot learn to become a true vampire on your own. You will need my help. There are not many of our kind who will help a sireless fledgling."

Still shaking from fear and sorrow, Riku did the only thing his mind could tell him to do.

He ran.

* * *

Yay! First chapter done!

Reviews appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2: Alone

Okay, I have some good news! I've decided to quit college. It takes up a lot of time and I don't have the self-discipline for it. That means I'll have more time to write in these for my fans. I'm looking for work now, yay for me... Stupid loans to pay off...

I am going to try and keep the story going faster in this one than in my Digimon fanfictions because those are almost going too slow... I am starting to lose interest in them. Chapter 3 might be a bit late, trying to figure out how to set the scene. Also, this chapter was supposed to be as long as the first one, and would have been had I not remembered that scene X had to take place before scene Y, which I wanted to happen before event Z so I had to squeeze scene X in. If it seems kind of rushed at some point, that is why.

**I do no own Kingdom Hearts :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Alone**

He heard a light rapping on his door, though he had already known that someone was approaching. "Riku, dear, are you going to come down for lunch?" a soft voice asked. More pointedly, he had realized it was his mother coming to see him.

The door cracked open slightly, sending a small ray of artificial light into the otherwise dark room. "Y-yeah. I… I'll come down… in a bit," Riku replied with a great deal of solemnity in his voice. This was not missed by his mother.

The slim woman silently glided (or it seemed like she glided since she walked so elegantly) over to her son's bed, sitting down on the bland covers to the boy's back and reaching over to caress the teenager's silver hair. "Is this something we can talk about?" she asked quietly. Upon receiving no answer, she stopped stroking the platinum strands of his hair. "I hope that whatever it is it will stop bugging you soon. Just know that we are always here to help. And we love you, no matter how much you change or how different you are." Experience had taught her that trying to forcefully obtain the answer would get her nowhere, so she dropped the subject. Had Riku delved into her words he would have caught the hint that she _knew_ something, but he was too wrapped up in the problem revolving around his humanity, or lack there of.

Gracefully standing, the woman who did not look like she had lived through forty years moved over to the closed curtains. "Sitting in the dark doesn't help anyone," she said, jerking the curtains open in one, fluid movement before Riku could protest. The harsh rays of the sun fell directly onto his face, the young male preparing to scream at the pain, but found only mild discomfort. It was harsh on his eyes, his skin which had always been unusually pale writhing rebelliously against the UV radiation and heat. But no spontaneous combustion.

"There, so much better, right?" she asked cheerfully, turning to smile at her son only the see his frightened expression. "Riku, are you okay?" she asked, sitting next to the boy as he sat up. He jerked his head around to look in her eyes, seeing only worry (and possibly some confusion for his behavior), but no fear. She was looking directly into his eyes, for goodness sake! Could she not see the burning red irises and lust for blood concealed in them.

"I-I'm just fine, Mom…" he stuttered out, diverting his gaze. Why was she so calm? Her son had just been turned into a vampire, she should be a bit more… he didn't know… terrified, maybe. Her frown told him that she didn't buy it. Riku bit his lower lip nervously as she slowly reached towards him to move a few strands of stubborn hair from his face. Okay, he had more than a few, but that was her excuse to comforting brush her hand against his forehead.

"Breakfast will be done in a few minutes," she said, standing and leaving, stopping only once at the doorway to look back at the teenager that had become even more mysterious. A part of her doubted this had to do with the secret she and her husband had already figured out. That meant that something other than his sexuality was bothering Riku, and that worried her, for he obviously was no where near ready to talk about it.

Releasing a sigh of relief, Riku stopped biting his lip to run his tongue tentatively over it, searching for the puncture mark caused by his fang. To his surprise, he found none, and instead ran the muscle over his teeth to find the elongated, sharp canines no longer even existed! His mind nearly did a back flip of joy at this, believing the entire ordeal was a dream instead of reality. Quickly leaping out of bed, the boy ran down the hallway and into the upstairs bathroom. His eyes were back to their normal color, no longer the heated red which explained why it hadn't worried his mother. He was about to holler for joy when something caught in his throat. Staring at his reflection, he could have sworn that his chest hadn't move an inch since he got in there. Was he even breathing? It was such a natural thing that one didn't think about so he hadn't paid it any head. Fearful of the outcome, Riku's pale hand slowly made its way up to his throat, two fingers shakily pressing into the crook where his jugular vein was.

Nothing.

He had no pulse. Trying to rationalize it as having not quite pressed in the right spot, he tried it on the other side of his neck. Then his wrist. And still nothing. His knees gave out as the hope fled him. The previous night was the previous night, and not some messed up dream. "Oh, no…" he gasped, forcing himself to take in deep, calming breaths. It was different, to say the least, having to tell his body to breath instead of the blasted thing just doing it on his own. He tried to will his heart to beat, but the uncooperative muscle was originally run by the unconscious side of his brain and he could not get it to produce a steady rhythm, or any at all.

Extremely unsteady, he made his way back to his room, closing the door behind him as he numbly removed his pajamas and got dressed into his daytime clothes. Fully clothed, but still completely out of it, Riku unconsciously made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen. His dad made some noise that sounded like a 'good-bye' before making his way to the door. The older man had already eaten his food and was now heading off to work.

Riku automatically took a plate and filled it with hash browns, eggs, and sausage, sitting down at his usual spot at the table. His mother watching his play with the fluffy, yellow and white clouds with his fork. _Can I even eat this?_ He asked somberly, a piece of scrambled egg rolling off his plate. _Vampires drink blood, so can I even eat solid food?_ Stabbing the piece as if he was detached from his boy, the silverette brought the small morsel to his mouth and slowly pulled it off his fork. _It has retained its flavor, so at least that is a good sign…_ he thought glumly, massaging the fluffy egg against the roof of his mouth with his tongue until it broke into smaller pieces. It wasn't difficult to swallow the bite, another good sign, and Riku had the renewed feeling that maybe he could be at least partially normal. The second bite went down as smoothly as the first, as did the third, and the fourth, and the fifth. The woman across from his stopped eating to carefully watch him, he fears never surfacing but never going away. Something had changed in her only child, and she just hoped it wouldn't tear him apart.

It took him almost three times as long to finish his plateful, his mind distracted as it was. He also didn't go after seconds, which was a rare occurrence. "Thanks, Mom, it was really good," he said, even though his body desired something a little more… coppery… to the taste. Still the meal had tasted great, as all his mother's meals did, even though half of them were 'take out of box, put in pan of boiling water' meals.

Rapidly ascending the stairs, Riku rushed into his room and closed the door, locking it. Pulling the curtains back over his windows, for the sunlight did not agree with his pale flesh, he made his way over to his desk top computer. Firing up the old thing, he agitatedly sat down in the hard, uncomfortable chair (**A/N:** Remember the joke, Naygo?), and waited for the screen to switch from black to his background. The picture made him blush slightly, though anyone that looked at it wouldn't have thought anything of it. All three of them, himself, Sora, and Roxas had gone down to the beach for the day. Riku, of course worried about getting burned, had lotioned himself up with a great amount of sunscreen and hid in the shade of the paopu tree and took pictures instead. In this particular one, Sora and Roxas were having a splash war, and Sora had just been hit. The picture was cropped to include Roxas (so no one would suspect anything), but its main focus was Sora.

Opening up Firefox, the young male quickly typed 'vampire facts' into the Google search bar. The site count for it was huge, so the silver-haired teen merely opened the first ten or so and started looking down the lists. He could dismiss some of the facts from personal experience (even though he's only been a vampire for less than a day, unless he was out longer, which he doubts for his parents would have been worried more). For example, many said vampires could not go out into sunlight. His mother had _obviously_ woken him up with sunlight, so that was totally untrue. Several also claimed that vampires could only drink blood. He _just_ had eggs, sausage, and hash browns for breakfast. _And garlic,_ he suddenly realized, his earlier daze clouding his mind into forgetting that his other always made eggs with herb and garlic. More falsities in the works. "I highly doubt I can change into a wolf or a bat or mist…" he grumbled irritatedly, starting to find this whole idea stupid. But he was desperate, hating the idea of being a vampire, and hating the idea of learning to be one from Ansem even more. That bastard had not only turned him against his will, but had also killed a man right in front of him. The thought of what that man might teach him sent a resentful shiver through his nerves.

Something interesting caught his eye, something he had seen on many pages, but didn't pay attention to until he saw it for the third or fourth time. "A fledgling can revert back to being human by killing their sire…" he read out loud, hoping that by saying them the words would gain more substance and validity. "He did call me a fledgling… Does this mean I can go back to being human?" he asked the dark room. He roamed through the other sites he brought up, dismissing a few and looking down the 'facts' from the others. That one idea stuck in his head though. _I can be human. All I have to do is kill Ansem._

* * *

Two days later found him helplessly standing in front of his best friend's door. His mother had insisted he get out a bit more, the boy having cooped himself up in his room for that last couple days, not even leaving to go to work (**A/N:** Please note that because of the region of town he lives in, Riku doesn't go to school). His emotions never could tell him no to a visit to Sora, and he reluctantly put on a hoodie and baggy pants, attempting to hide as much skin as possible while still remaining remotely cool.

"Ah, Riku!" the energetic brunette yelled, throwing a hug around the taller male's shoulders. Riku blushed again at the contact, realizing using the mirror in the hall that blood actually had rushed to his face. Acting as if he was hugging the boy back (like he always did), Riku took the opportunity to check his pulse in his wrist, a bad habit that quickly becoming OCD. There was still nothing, informing Riku that his blood must be circulating using a different method than a beating heart.

"It's good to see you too, Sora," he chuckled, glad with the fact that his vampiric body didn't seem to be reacting to his affections for the boy. _Yet,_ his mind pessimistically chimed.

"Well, come in!" Sora joked as he moved away, as if Riku had been standing there of his own accord for the last few seconds. "Roxas bought a bunch of sea-salt ice-cream and I don't think we'll be able to finish it all."

"Your twin can really be impossible at times," the young vampire chuckled, making his way into the kitchen (and the freezer) as if he lived there. Sora's family didn't mind, since he normally spent just as much time there as he did at his own place. Retrieving an ice-cream bar for Sora and himself, the two made their way to the table to talk.

It was halfway into their conversation that the doorbell rang again. "Coming!" Sora yelled, affording Riku a nice view of his ass. He turned away for two reasons: One, it prevented him from getting too turned on; And two, it angled his highly sensitive ear to the door so he could hear who was there better.

"Can I come in?" That chipper voice could only belong to one person, Kairi. He honestly didn't know the girl too well, but she was a good friend of Sora's. Smiling to himself, Riku stood and went into the kitchen retrieving one, then two more sea-salt ice-cream bars as he head Sora's noisy twin start descending the stairs.

"Here you go," he said, handing the new additions to their group a bar as they entered. Riku sat back down next to the seat Sora had occupied. A seat the redheaded girl quickly stole. Roxas had already sat down to the silverette's other side, meaning Riku could not sit next to the object (though he did not think of Sora as an object) of his affections. By the time he had to go, Riku was quietly seething, both at Kairi and at himself. The girl had been shamelessly flirting with his best friend and crush throughout the entire conversation, which ticked off the vampire. Which, in turn, ticked him off even more because he was being possessive over Sora who was obviously not his, and most likely not even gay. He could only guess it was more vampiric instincts that drove him to the jealous lengths that had wishing for the girl's demise. He really had to figure out a plan to get rid of Ansem.

And fast!

* * *

He had been quite surprised to find it took him a week to come up with the simple plan he had. Although, he also realized that if he hadn't taken a week, the plan most likely would have failed. As it was, he came upon a vampire's weakness on accident, a very lucky accident, but an accident none-the-less. Unfortunately, the delay also brought something else with it.

His pale hand grasped at his unusually dry throat as he made his way down an alley. Once blue-green eyes were now a blistering red again, searching out the next prey to sate his thirst. Following his nose, Riku came out to a more… unreputable… part of the district. No, not everyone in this part was a crackhead, drug dealer, or alcoholic, but the majority was so it gained a horrible reputation.

Predator eyes scanning the scene, he picked out several young girls that would make an easy meal, but a sudden change in the wind brought a new, yet familiar fragrance to his nostrils. Red eyes turned to gaze upon the slim, redhead, her stride confident and very much like his own, except less dangerous. While she search for her next pocket to pick or guy to seduce, Riku searched for his next taste of blood.

A deep loathing for the girl trying to still _his_ Sora set him in motion. Concealed in shadows, the crimson-eyed male mercilessly tailed the soon-to-be helpless girl. She rudely bumped into a middle-aged man, quickly voicing an apology before making her way into an alley to see how much her prize was for this steal.

That is when Riku struck. Hand plastered over her mouth to prevent any noise, body pressed up against her back to prevent her from seeing him, the teenager forced Kairi's head to the side to better access her neck, and the delicious red liquid that flowed in rivers beneath its skin. Her rapid pulse drummed in his ears, fangs positioned above the extremely important vein. Piercing the skin, he missed again, this time puncturing the carotid artery instead of the jugular vein, which was his intended target. He achieved the same results, though, the girl's blood rushing into his mouth to be quickly swallowed to cool his throat. He drank more greedily this time, sensing that this was his rival in love and that in a few minutes he could end her life, and the competition.

Riku stopped drinking, removing his fangs from her neck to look on in shame and horror at his actions. There were a couple beats where the blood still gushed out of the wounds, but they soon halfway closed, his healing saliva working diligently to keep his victim alive. The deprivation of oxygen to her brain caused Kairi to faint, Riku slowly letting her down to the ground as he placed a hand over his mouth to stop the vomit that didn't come. He tried to force his body to dispel the contents of his stomach, but it wouldn't do it.

"It's no use, Riku," a deep voice behind him chuckled. The seventeen-year-old spun around quickly to look into the red eyes of his sire. "Your body needs that and knows it. It won't get rid of it, like so many humans foolishly expel that which they so desperately need. Good job on hitting the artery, though you were probably aiming for the jugular, like any _new_ _vampire_ would," he said, emphasizing both new and vampire to drill into Riku that he was both inexperienced and not human. He cockily walked over to the seated teenager, not seeing him grip something slim and metallic in his hand.

By the time he realized it, it was too late. The dagger was firmly rooted in his chest, the desperate boy who didn't want to be a vampire pressed against his body. "Wh-what?" he gasped out, feeling the poison seeping into his veins.

"I never wanted… any of this," Riku said, tears starting to form in his eyes. "I didn't want to hurt the friend of the one I love," he continued, stopping as his eyes widened at his own words. _Love? Has it really gotten that far?_ he asked. Composing himself, he went on, "I didn't want to, but I did. Because of what you did to me. This is all your fault!"

"And killing me will solve that?" he asked, amused despite the fact he felt his death approaching with no way to stop it. Even if Riku removed the knife, it was too late.

"I… I thought…" he stuttered, walking back a step, then two, leaving Ansem slumped against the wall.

"What? That if I died you'd go back to being human?" Ansem mused, coughing up blood. "Foolish child. You cannot go back to being human." Hacking violently, Ansem shuddered and collapsed, glaring up at Riku with one eye as the last of his life faded. "Foolish child. Now… you are alone…"

Riku let out a shattered breath, reaching over to hit the dead vampire a few times before admitting that he really was dead. His tongue traced his teeth, though, finding that as Ansem had said, he had not gone back human. Yanking the knife the man's chest with numb hands, Riku carefully replaced it in the waist of his pants at the small of his back.

It really had been an accident that he realized that knife could kill Ansem. He had been cleaning his room, since he had nothing better to do, and accidentally cut his finger on a dagger his dad had bought him for his sixteenth birthday. It stung like hell, and the wound did not quickly heal like another he had received from his pocket knife (to test his healing powers). The blade was special, made entirely out of silver, a substance Riku had figured vampires were allergic to. He had read on several pages that they were.

It had worked, though the end result was not as he had planned. Ansem's last words rang frightfully in his head, _"Foolish child. Now… you are alone…" It's true. I don't even have him to help me any more._

Gathering the unconscious girl up in his arms, eyes now their natural teal color, Riku exited the alley and made his way towards Kairi's place.

* * *

Hehe. How will Riku cope with being alone in his new vampire body. I will try to make it so I post chapters in this one every week. Also note that I have no clue where I'm finishing this one currently, so it could go on a while.


	3. Chapter 3: Together

Okay, first thing's first. I meant to get this out _two weeks ago_ but I didn't, and I am very sorry to those who have been waiting for it. The reason I didn't? That is, quite simply, because I wanted to post in all five of my fanfictions at once this one time as a "I'm out of college and not going back at this moment, yay!" kind of thing. The problem? I had to write in all five of them first. I had four done for the last week, and finally got the fifth one done! So, you can blame **The Assassin and the Clown** on the delay. At this point, I will tell you I am still writing this, but I will not guarentee specific update days. I am not giving them up (I love my fanfictions ana my fans), but ti could be two months or two days between updates.

I think I have finally found an ending for this one! I have an ending, now just to figure out all that happens to get to it. But it's an ending! That means I have more than when I started at this.

**Spoiler for next chapter:** I had originally planned on not including the other organiztion members, but I have found a way to weasel them in. Xemnas takes over the host bar that Riku used to work at, and all the Organization (minus Axel and Roxas) are vampires that work there. Whatever happen to the people Riku used to work with, I don't know...

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Together**

Riku paced the width of his room. Somewhere in his mind he figured this had to be akin to Post Traumatic Syndrome, this lingering regret and fear of what he was and had done. Kairi had been out for several hours, or so he heard from Sora when the boy, no, he was no longer a boy, but a young man just a year younger than Riku was, came over to tell him the horror story about his good friend's attacker who delivered her unconscious body to her parents. That is, before he realized Riku was the one who brought her back, so he couldn't be the attacker, right? That hurt the young vampire even more. Sora trusted him whole heartedly, and he was a monster, jealous for no reason and attacking to live. He very much wondered when a vampire hunter would just come through his window to kill him. Would they come with a wooden stake, thinking the pitiful thing could kill him? It was a funny notion, but only relieved his self-pity for a second.

She opened the door quietly, hoping to not disturb the teen who had become so reclusive the last few weeks. She was quite surprised to see him pacing, his graceful footfalls making absolutely no noise, though very little was ever made by her son. He looked worn and haggard, aged far beyond even her years and yet retaining a radiance of youth she couldn't understand. His pattern was easily discerned, it was one he took whenever something deep troubled him, yet at the same time her son seemed like a completely different person. Having always been averse to the sunlight (how else would he stay so pale?), it did not surprise her when he insisted on the curtains being drawn. But he was never this reluctant to be in someone's company. Despite his cold demeanor, he was really close to his mother, and would often have Sora over. Now, he only seemed interested in brooding in his room, locking himself away from human contact.

"Riku, are you alright?" his mother's soft voice asked, the almost frail woman slipping into the dark room and closing the door. Riku jumped at the sound, turning almost frightened-like to face his mother. Practically gliding to the bed, the woman gracefully sat down. Riku almost smirked as he was one again reminded where he got a lot of his traits from. His dad, after all, was gruff and unrefined and a clod-hopper, at best. Although, some of it could have come from his now-undead body.

Riku played with the idea of lying, but brushed it off, knowing fully well that his mother would see through it, like she had that time almost three weeks ago when he first got back after being turned. "Not really," he admitted, looking down and sitting next to her. Had he not, she would have motioned for him to do so.

Gently caressing his silver hair, she asked, "Do you want to talk about it with me?" He turned away more, and she replaced her hand in her lap, watching her son with saddened eyes. _Why must he go through so much tribulation alone?_ She wondered, already knowing his answer simply by his reaction.

"I'm sorry, Mom," Riku whispered, unable to meet his mother's eyes. _How can I explain what is going on? How can I tell her that her only son has become a monster?_ "It's… It's not something I'm ready to talk about. Not with you, at least. I'm sorry, but…" He looked up, trailing off as his teal eyes met her soft blue ones.

"It's alright, Riku," she said reassuringly, gently taking his head and pulling it down to her chest like a mother trying to soothe an ailing child. In many ways, that's just what Riku was; a child too confused and broken to repair itself. "You might not be able to talk to me now, but please just realize that I am always willing to listen. Nothing could ever make me hate you, I promise." Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered if _that_ was all that was the problem.

Standing in one fluid motion, the very light-haired woman (a platinum blonde, but not straight silver like Riku's) moved to leave. A strong grip on her wrist stopped her, and she cocked her head slightly to see its owner. "Thank you," Riku voiced, hair hiding his face. "For understanding. I'm sorry to put you through this. It's just… I need a bit more time to think." She nodded even though she knew he couldn't see her do so. The point must have gotten across, though, for Riku's pale fingers released her wrist and allowed her to leave. Sighing, the lost teenager laid back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling but not really seeing it.

The fear and anxiety would not leave his mother's bones, though, and she quickly made her way down to the kitchen and the phone. The number was rusty in her memory, but she always made sure to never forget it. It rang once, twice, then there was the distinct _click!_ of the opposite receiver being picked up, followed by the cheery, "Hello?"

"Sora? That is you, right?" she asked immediately, trying not to sound too urgent. Whether she had, or the frequency (or lack there of) of her calls queued the normally non-observant male into the problem, she did not know.

"Is there something wrong with Riku?" he asked after a few seconds, voice solemn, so different from the chipper mood he sported before..

"Yeah, something like that," she replied, taking a deep breath before continuing, "Sora, I don't like asking for help, because it means I can't do something and I need someone to do it for me. But, Riku isn't ready to talk to me," the woman stated, Sora listening intently. "He has said before that he always tells you things before he tells me. I don't know. Maybe, do you think you could come over and give him someone to talk to?"

"I'm already halfway to the door," the brunette replied, holding the phone with his shoulder as he slipped on his shoes. There was a good pause where neither spoke and Sora just sat there, shoes laced and needing to only step out the wooden portal to the harsh world outside. "Thank you. For calling me. I have noticed for a bit that Riku seems off. I guess he needs a bit of help to get passed what ever it is. I'll be over as soon as I can. Bye."

He was so hasty he didn't hear her tell him "Bye" back. She had heard the _click!_ of disconnection before she said it even, lightly shaking her head at the boy's eagerness. It was quite obvious to her, the boys' feelings. She hoped this could get those two together. Deep down, she knew that was not the root problem.

* * *

Swallowing the lump in his throat, the sixteen-year-old gently rapped on his older friend's bedroom door. The stillness in the area didn't change, Sora wondering not for the first time since he arrived if Riku was even still in his room. To his relief the door slowly opened, said male looking away ashamed for a second before turning to take in his visitor's face, and freezing. He had not been expecting to see the shorter male, but maybe his dad come to 'beat' some sense into him. No, his dad did not actually beat him, it was just play.

"Aaare you going to invite me in?" the brunette asked, drawling on the word 'are.' Embarrassed by his lack of finesse (which was a characteristic of Riku) in dealing with the boy, he mutely moved to the side, arm held out behind him to invite Sora in.

Taking three running strides, the more immature male leapt onto the medium sized bed in the room. Chuckling at his friend's antics, Riku shut the door behind him and joined Sora on his bed, his movements holding a lot more elegance than Sora's overly exaggerated ones. "You came here for a reason, right?" the vampire asked, trying to sound normal, nonchalant.

Sora's mood seemed to drop a bit at that. "I can't just come over to see you?" he asked indignantly. "I have to have come over because I want something?"

"That's not what I was meaning, Sora," Riku defended weakly, too worn and haggard to really react to his friend's accusation. "You know I didn't mean that…" He sighed quietly, sadly, but Sora caught it.

"You've been acting differently, lately," the boy finally stated after several minutes. "At first I thought it was just me, and I was being stupid, but your mom noticed it to. You seem to have lost your luster, your will. The fight in you is gone. You don't even get remotely mad at me when I know what you meant by that statement. Riku is someth-" He cut off as he looked back to the silver-haired teenager next to him. Riku had his head down and in the palms of hands, knees drawn up meet the backs of his hands as some kind of support.

_I worried him,_ Riku realized, refusing to look at the other boy with the mixture of pain and happiness in his eyes. _I worried him, and I hate that he is sad because of me, yet at the same time I'm happy because he's sad._ A part of his realized he was happy because Sora cared enough to be sad for him, but Riku really wanted to wallow in self-pity, finding it easier than facing his fears. "I'm sorry, Sora," he said, feeling a warm hand on his wrist. "I've just had a lot to think about lately."

"I figured as much," the younger male said, affectionately tugging on Riku's wrist to remove it from that half of his face. Giving in, lovely blue-green eyes met deep oceanic blue ones, the owner of the latter leaning in to wrap his tanned arms around Riku's shoulders. "I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you," he cooed, rubbing soothing circles on the young vampire's back.

Strange sensations bubbled up in Riku's chest, his pale arms shaking as they made their way around Sora's lithe body. Shivers started all throughout his body as a choked sound escaped his throat, accompanied by drops of salty water from his eyes. More sobs racked his suddenly fragile looking form as Riku finally broke down, Sora holding him a little tighter and continuing to hum soothing noises in his ears.

They stayed like that for about half an hour, Sora leaning solidly against the wall behind Riku's bed while the owner of that bed desperately clung to his shirt, wiping the tears that wouldn't seem to stop flowing from his eyes into the rough cloth. As much as he wanted to know what could bring a stable person like Riku to his knees, Sora didn't ask. If Riku was crying over it, trying to bring it up would not help. Instead, he silently reveled in the feeling of his body fitted with that of the other male.

Sobs finally quieting, Riku looked up with forlorn, tortured eyes. They conveyed a single message, 'don't leave me alone.' Feeling his heart wrenching from his chest, Sora swiftly leaned down and pressed his lips to Riku's, a tanned hand moving up to mesh with the older male's silver hair. Eyes going wide in shock and all emotions wiped from his face, Riku could only sit there in confusion, unresponsive. Pulling back sheepishly, Sora refused to meet those blue-green eyes that had regained a bit of their strength. "You just… kissed me…" Riku breathed out.

Pink tinting his cheeks, Sora nodded, mumbling a small, "Yeah."

"Why?" the seventeen-year-old asked, moving back so that he was no longer sitting in Sora's lap.

"Um, well, you see," Sora nervously started, glancing at Riku out of the corner of his eye. "You looked like you needed comfort, and I know that if I was feeling really down like you were that a kiss from you would really help cheer me up so I decided to tr-" he was cut off by his companion again.

"Wait, a kiss from me would cheer you up?" Riku asked, watching more blood rush to Sora's face at the realization of what he had just admitted. "Sora, I don't get it. Why?"

_Lie, make something up quick!_ his mind screamed. "It's k-kind of that… w-well…" the boy stuttered, scooting back a bit and preparing to bolt. "You s-see… I k-kind of might h-have a really big crush on you that f-feels a l-lot more like l-l-l…" He paused for a moment, too afraid to look at Riku, but if he had, he would have seen the strangest mix of shock and joy there. "More like love than like…" he finally managed to spit out, reflexively recoiling a bit. He felt the bed move as Riku drew closer. Panicking, he shouted, "I'm really sorry, Riku! I really should have just kept my mouth to myse-"

A pair of lips cut him off this time. Riku found his face burned with as much color as his best friend's, more really since his skin was lighter and showed it better. When they broke away this time, it was Sora's turn to ask questions. "Why…?"

Riku leaned his head onto Sora's chest, still needing comforted with words of 'everything will be alright.' "We can be together, right?" the silver haired male asked. "It doesn't matter that we're both boys, right? Because I really need you, Sora. I don't want to be alone. I don't want to be separated, especially from you. You don't know how much this feels like a dream, and I just hope I don't wake up and find you don't really love me."

Petting his best friend's hair affectionately, Sora lovingly cooed, "If gender mattered I wouldn't have fallen for you. It'll be alright. We can be together. I won't leave," Sora told his best friend. Well, that would be boyfriend now.

* * *

I like how I got to the relationship part early in this. Normally it takes chapter and chapters (points to **The Cave** where it took, like 30,000 words and eight chapters). I am trying to move this one along faster (as I have already said, I think...) and skip passed unimportant details to get to the actual story.


	4. Chapter 4: Bitten

This chapter on word (for seems to add a few when you upload it) was just voer 3500 words, a lot more than I had expected. I hope no one gets angry at me, but I had this chapter done back on September 8th... I wrote it right after I got done with chapter 3, but postponed posting them because I wanted my first posting after leaving college to be all of them, and, well, I explained that mess at the beginning of last chapter. So, you get a long chapter now!

I also have a vocabulary term for you guys! **Blue Eyes** refers to a master vampires, whose eyes glow blue instead of red.

**Warning: **There are some cheesy parts ahead... The bane of our society, hard to get around the cheesiness (or at least I think some of the things are kind of cliched/cheesy).

**Another Warning:** I haven't actually played Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, so I don't actually know what some of the organization members are like. So, I will go off what my friend's have told me and their appearances. So I may mess up voices/personalities on some of them, please don't eat me. If you do, I will never be able to finish this for you.

**I don't own Kingdom Hearts :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Bitten**

Riku looked down at the boy leaning on his shoulder. Asleep on his shoulder. Stupid, Sora. He was the one who wanted to watch _The Little Mermaid_, not that Riku knew why, and now he was snoozing halfway through it, with the remote too far away for Riku to reach to turn it off without waking the brunette.

Sighing, the silverette thought back to the night a couple days over five weeks ago now, when he had gotten together with the spiky-haired boy. _"We can be together, right? It doesn't matter that we're both boys, right?" _He should have asked if it was alright that he was a vampire, but he couldn't bring himself to tell Sora._ "Because I really need you, Sora. I don't want to be alone. I don't want to be separated, especially from you. You don't know how much this feels like a dream, and I just hope I don't wake up and find you don't really love me." _It still felt like a dream, even as the brunette stirred back to life.

"Mmmnn… Riiiku…" Sora moaned quietly, burying his face in said male's shoulder to try and prolong sleep. If it wasn't for the fact that Sora _always_ moaned when he woke up, Riku might have thought the boy was dreaming of something… promiscuous. "You smell good," the brunette mumbled, half asleep.

"Yeah, yeah, Sora," Riku mumbled in reply, burying his face is his boyfriend's hair. "You smell pretty good yourself." The silverette smirked, knowing he would get the desired reaction from his partner.

Sora's head shot up, Riku deftly dodging the object, to reveal his dark blush. It was so fun to tease Sora about his sleep talking. "W-why do you do that?" the flustered male half-yelled, slamming his fists several times on the older teenager's chest.

"I was only being honest," he cooed. "You smell absolutely delectable." _Shut up, Riku! That's your thirst talking! Do you want to go all red-eye on Sora?_ his mind screamed, his body shuddering at the thought.

"You okay, Riku?" his companion asked, tilting his head slightly. Sure Riku had been acting more normal now (since he was starting to get used to the fact he had to drink blood to survive), but he still had his awkward moments.

"Yeah, I am, but you aren't," he replied. "You are tired, and you have school tomorrow, right? I should carry you up to bed." Without waiting for a reply, Riku stood and picked Sora up bridal style in one movement, bringing his mouth down to capture the latter's already abused lips. Not breaking the contact, he made his way down the hallway towards the brunette's room, not hitting anything only because he and Sora used to run through the house blindfolded when they were little and he still remembered where everything was.

Finally opening the door to the younger's bedroom (he had difficulty with the doorknob), Riku quickly tossed the boy onto his bed, hastily joining him. On all fours, the brunette's hands pinned above his head by one of Riku's pale hands, the silverette leaned down and deftly took his mouth again, Sora eagerly reciprocating it. Weaseling one of his hands free, the younger male occupied it in Riku's soft hair, softly massaging the scalp. Moaning at the attention, Riku nipped and licked his boyfriend's lower lip, begging for entrance and receiving a higher pitched moan in return. Opening his mouth and angling his head to the side slightly, Sora's tongue darted into the silverette's mouth before the latter had the chance to do that with the former.

His taste buds screamed at him in ecstasy, for in the whole five weeks they had been dating their tongues normally met in his mouth, not Riku's. Sora had found a week ago that Riku tasted sharp, like cheddar just without the cheese, kind of sweet, but with a hint of bitterness that almost reminded him of the breeze in a graveyard. Still, he thoroughly enjoyed the taste, and indulged in it until Riku forced them back into his mouth instead. The silverette's tongue lapped as his, half-twisting around it to send an erotic chill down the smaller male's spine.

It was then that Riku pulled away, shaking slightly and desperately trying to control himself. _I can't believe how close I almost came to biting him!_ He berated himself, getting up off the brunette and sitting on the edge of the bed. He had been fully enjoying their activities, just as Sora had, but as the boy's tongue ran over the inner walls of his mouth it stimulated some type of response that had him devising where his fangs should go. He was currently struggling with keeping the red from his eyes.

"Riku, what's wrong?" Sora asked, worried. _Did I do something wrong?_ His asked himself.

"It's nothing really," the vampire replied, trying to sound comforting. "It's getting late, and you are tired. I should just go." He went to stand, but a tanned hand stopped him.

"Riku… You're not… getting tired of me, are you?" the boy asked, looking down and away.

"What?" Riku gasped, afraid. "What gave you an idea like that?"

"Well… it's just that you do this every Wednesday, and it's starting to worry me…" Sora replied honestly. "You're not…" He snapped his head up to look into Riku's swirling teal eyes. "You're not… cheating on me, are you?"

The breath Riku had finally gotten into the habit of taking stuck in his throat. "What…? Cheating on you? No! Sora, no, I'm doing anything like that!" Riku panicked, one of those panics where it was obvious the speaker was telling the truth. "I would never cheat on you!" he said, freeing his wrist so he could lean down and comfortingly pull Sora into a hug. "I love you."

"I love you too," Sora replied. A few seconds later, he yawned. "You should be getting home now, right?"

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow, after school," the silverette assured.

* * *

Riku growled softly at himself, gingerly wiping the blood trail from the corner of his mouth. Feeling disgusted by the display in front of him, a young man laying against the alley wall, head lulled to the side with two, rapidly healing, puncture wounds on his neck, his pale fist swung and connected solidly with the wall. He was disgusted with himself, disgusted by the fact blood tasted _good_, disgusted that he was coming to _accept_ the act, disgusted that could do _nothing_ about it. The little consolation he had was that his victims (other than Kai—no, Kairi too) were druggies or thugs or criminals of some kind. He wasn't hurting some innocent person who just happened to be in the wrong place. He also had the knowledge that no one died (except that guy Ansem killed) because of his activities. Kairi was proof of that. She was his smallest (weight-wise) meal, and he drank more from her than any other out of jealousy, and she was lightheaded the first day but fine after that. He had also read somewhere that humans could regenerate a pint of blood every 4 weeks about, and he only had to drink about a pint; no more than the Red Cross took.

Taking off down the alley towards his home, a bright light distracted him. "I-impossible!" he breathed, staring at the sign that said Castle Oblivion, the host bar he used to work at. "I-it's been out of commission s-since I killed Ansem. W-who?" Scared of the answer, but too curious to admit it, Riku's feet steadily brought him closer to his old work place.

Voices could be distinctly heard through the old, wooden door and Riku tentatively pushed it open, rusty hinges creaking loudly. The cautious teen almost bolted at that instant, but he had to be sure. He _had_ to make sure Ansem was truly dead.

"I'm sorry, but we're not open yet," a cheerful blonde… well… cheered, right in his face. He had a weird combination of a Mohawk and a mullet on his head, shining blue eyes, suddenly looking at him curiously. "Ah, come in!" he, again, cheered, grabbing the silverette's wrist before he could protest and dragging the protesting male over to another worker, this one with slate-colored hair that hid a half of his face. "Look Zexion, looky looky!"

The other male looked up from his book, bored. "What is it _this time_, Demyx?" he asked, clearly annoyed with the blonde.

"Look Zexy! He's a vampire too!" Demyx (once again) cheered.

Riku suddenly panicked, wrenching his wrist from the blonde's grip and taking several quick steps back. His eyes instantly went red, ready for some kind of fight.

"Calm down, Snowy," a very feminine yet obviously male voice behind him cooed. "We aren't trying to pick a fight here.

Whipping around, Riku found himself face-to-face with what he guessed was another vampire. "What did you call me, Pinky?" the scared teenager hissed, trying to look intimidating and not show his fear.

"Marluxia, you're not helping!" a fourth voice yelled from the kitchen. "Now get your flowery ass back in here and help me!"

"Ah, coming Vexen," the pink-haired male that must be Marluxia whined, skipping (yes, skipping) towards the kitchen.

"That's what you said this morning…" Demyx muttered, receiving a smack on the back of the head from Zexion. Riku was quite surprised he was following the names so easily.

"Maturity, Demyx. We talked about it two hours ago," the slate-haired male said. To be honest, they all (or the three he had seen) looked like teenagers, but he wasn't sure if he could trust his eyes with vampiric age.

"You're no fun sometimes, Zexy," the mullet-headed blonde pouted, Riku catching the flinch Zexion involuntarily did at the nickname this time.

"So, Snowy, are you going to divulge your name, or not?" Zexion asked, receiving narrowed eyes from Riku. "Can you at least say why you're here? Because _if_ it's for a fight, you are sorely outnumbered, and you obviously aren't a Blue Eyes."

The last bit confused him, and it showed temporarily on his face before it faded and he relaxed a little. These guys (was Pinky really a male?) didn't seem threatening. "Who runs this place now?" he asked slowly, bracing for some kind of conflict. To say he was wary of vampires would be an understatement. His only other encounter with one was obviously less than pleasant.

"Back room," Zexion stated, waving his arm in the direction of Ansem's office before going back to his book.

Leary to turn his back to them, but not willing to let them know he was unnerved, Riku turned sharply and walked agitatedly towards the all-too-familiar door. Not even knocking, the silverette slammed the door open, impatient to see if that bastard was still alive.

He nearly collapsed as he looked upon his sire.

Scratch that, he did collapse, his knees no longer holding up his weight. Ansem looked over at the uninvited visitor cruelly for a second before intrigue overtook them and he stood from his desk.

The movement broke Riku out of his paralysis and he leapt back a couple feet, backing up two steps for every one Ansem took, his breathing (which had now become a habit) becoming ragged and uneven. He held it completely when his back touched the cold stone wall.

"Now then, what do we have here?" Ansem asked, though his voice was slightly different. "Can you tell me your name, possibly?"

Riku hissed angrily at that, baring his fangs in hostility. "Like you don't know!" he yelled, putting all his malice behind the words. The blonde and gray-blue-haired vampires looked over at him, the two from the kitchen peeking into the room as well, and a sixth set of eyes watching from the office doorway. "I thought I killed you, you bastard!"

Ansem stopped for a second before smirking and snickering. "Ah, so you're the one who got rid of him, huh?" he asked, his laughter sending unpleasant chills down the silverette's spine. "Ah, come on, kid, what's your name?"

"Do I really need to remind you, _Ansem_?" Riku spat, venom in the name. Demyx (who was the only one of the six who had yet to figure out who Riku was talking about) suddenly realized what was going on, and giggled, stopping when Riku sent him a cold glare. Zexion gave him an equally cold stare, moving in front of the blonde.

"I am not Ansem," the other silver-haired male said simply. "Actually, I should thank you for dispatching my brother."

"Brother…?" Riku asked, not sure if he should readily believe this man but feeling a bit of shame at the same time.

"Yeah," the Ansem-look-alike said, chuckling at the teen's mistake. "My name is Xemnas, and I would like to welcome you to Castle Oblivion, young vampire."

Riku flinched at the title, looking down. "Riku," he said. "My name is Riku."

"Okay, Riku," Xemnas said, trying to take another step closer but getting only a hiss in reply as the silverette's head shot up. "No need to be defensive. You can work here if you want. Call me prejudice, if you will, but I only hire my own kind."

"I know this place well enough for my liking," Riku brooded.

Xemnas took a moment to observe the boy in front of him. "Ansem turned you, didn't he?" he asked, Riku's stiffening all the response he needed. "If that's the case, it would be my duty to take you in and-"

"I'm fine on my own!" Riku snapped. "I've been fine on my own for the last two months!"

"Riku, calm down," Demyx said, trying to get closer to comfort the teenager.

"I didn't ask for this!" he yelled.

"That doesn't—well, didn't—matter to my brother," Xemnas stated, moving to the door and opening it. "My door is also open to you, brethren."

Nodding mutely, Riku quickly made his way out the door and away from that place. It was so much less threatening now, but he wasn't ready to join those other vampires.

Yet.

* * *

Riku sat on Sora's bed, waiting for his brunette to return. It had been five days since his run in with the crew at Castle Oblivion. He was really starting to regret his words, wondering how much longer he really could survive on his own, without anyone to share the burden of his new life with. He wanted to tell his boyfriend, but at the same time was afraid of losing him.

The door opened slowly, Sora slipping in through the crack, with muttered words from Roxas flowing in after him. "What did you have to leave for?" Riku asked, patting the bed beside him, the energetic male hopping over to land in the spot and lean over onto his boyfriend's shoulder.

"Nothing important, just Mom's usual lecture," Sora explained, nuzzling the spot where Riku's neck met his shoulder, the silverette's expression obviously asking for more details. "You know, just the whole, 'Be sure to use a condom if you two are going to have sex.'" Riku choked on air at that, looking over with his face flushed with embarrassment.

Now, just to clear things up, Sora's mom was very observant, and realized by the third day that they were dating. She, of course, then called her best friend (Riku's mom) and informed her. So, now both families knew.

"What doesn't your mom tell you that?" Sora asked, innocence lacing his words. That tone was the one Riku hated the most, for he felt guilty for dirtying it with his mouth. His mouth that consumed blood.

"No, I don't get lectures from her, Sora," Riku replied.

"Really?" the brunette asked slowly, getting closer and closer to his prize.

"Yeah," Riku answered equally slow, barely getting the words out before Sora cut him off with a chaste kiss. Grinning, the silverette heated things up a bit, lowering his partner to the bed and licking his bottom lip, asking for entrance. Sora immediately granted it, moaning as their tongues touched. Riku lapped at his boyfriend's tongue for another short moment before going reacquaint himself with the rest of the inner cavern walls. A pale hand made its way up under the dark shirt, softly caressing the skin on its journey towards the small peaks he knew were on the brunette's tanned chest. Riku's other hand occupied itself in Sora's hair, gripping the gravity-defying strands harshly.

Sora hissed as slim fingers pinched his nipple, massaging the erect peak agonizingly slow. Swirling his tongue in the younger male's mouth and mixing the saliva, Riku pulled back slightly, grinning at the trail of drool starting at the corner of the brunette's mouth, running down his cheek, and, ultimately, to his neck…

A hand roughly pulled Sora's head to the side, Riku's head dipping down to place light kisses over his beating pulse. Sora shivered in pleasure at the sensation, knowing what Riku was planning to do next.

Or so he thought.

The silverette had given him hickeys before, but none of them were this painful! He didn't realize it wasn't a hickey Riku was giving him.

Hovering over the pulse, the scent of his boyfriend overwhelmed him and Riku greedily sank his fangs into Sora's neck. Hot liquid rushed into his mouth at the puncture of the jugular vein; Riku had no desire to cause Sora to faint. A tanned hand meshed with his hair, lightly tugging on the silverette's head in a plea for him to stop.

"Riku… Ow, it hurts…" Sora whispered, blocking back tears. "Riku, please stop," he whined in pain. Relief washed over a minute later, though the pain wasn't fully gone yet.

Riku stared at the blankets in horror. _What have I done? Did I just… drink Sora's blood? _Fear washed over his as he slowly turned to see the two healing puncture wounds, a small trail of blood and saliva running down from each of them. _No, no, no! What have I done?_ "Oh, gods…" he breathed, sitting up immediately and looking down at Sora's pain-filled eyes with his crimson ones.

"Geez, Riku, what did you do?" the brunette protested, bringing a hand up to rub his sore skin. The wetness of it queued him into something, and he withdrew his hand to see the blood residue there. Panicking slightly, he stood without looking at his boyfriend and bolted from the room, across the hall, and into the bathroom. Examining the right side of his neck in the mirror, Sora gasped.

Those were definitely fang marks!

* * *

It had taken him several minutes to calm down, going over the events of the previous moments. _Oh gods, Riku's a vampire!_ He had walked into his room and talked to Riku. They had started kissing and making out. _Riku was really gentle at that point._ Then Riku broke away from the kiss for a second, and something changed. _His grip became rougher…_ And then Riku bi… bit him… and drank his blood. _Oh gods… Riku. Is. A. Vampire. I'm dating a vampire!_

_Does that really matter?_ A voice asked, breaking Sora from his panic.

He thought that over for a second. _No,_ he finally came up with. _It doesn't change anything. Riku is still Riku. _There was a pause for a second before a dreadful thought came to him. _And Riku's probably beating himself up for this right now!_

The silverette would have been sitting still, had he not been shaking so uncontrollably. He clearly heard the hurried footsteps approaching him, but could only look away. "Look, Sora… I'm sor-" A gently hand made him freeze in his tracks, especially when that hand snaking around him body with the other one to envelope him in a hug.

"Shh, shh," the brunette whispered soothingly in his partner's ear, hoping to calm him down. "It's okay, Riku. It's okay. I'm here. I won't leave you."

The silverette stiffened, finally looking over at the younger male, who had accidentally turned just enough to expose the half-healed bite wound. "I'm a vampire, Sora," he tried to counter. "I… I fucking bit you. My goddamn fang marks are in your neck. And… And… I already _was_ a vampire when I started dating you and I just didn't _tell_ you because I was scared and confused and I didn't ask for this!"

"If race mattered I wouldn't have fallen for you," Sora stated, stroking the boy he hoped would stay with him's hair.

"But Sora… I could… again…" he started, voice drifting away.

"I'm okay right now, see?" he asked, cheerfully hopping back to show his unsteady balance. "Okay, maybe a bit weak, but I'll be okay." Riku didn't look convinced. "Riku, you can't change what you are. And what you are is kind, and loyal, and sweet, and caring. As well as pessimistic, angsty, brooding… and a vampire. Look, it's no-"

A large _crash!_ cut him off, glass flying into his room as something—no, someone—burst through the barrier.

* * *

That lst line break migth not be neccessary, but I thought ti made the scene a bit more dramatic. Any guesses as to who broke through the window? It shouldn't be hard to figure out.

Hope you enjoyed it!


	5. Chapter 5: Hunted

Okay, I started this several days ago and got stuck at a spot. Finished it, though, and it is like two chapters in one... So, you guys get extra with this chapter!

I personally don't like the beginning of this chapter, but couldn't well figure out how to start it better. Whatever scene I had when I first thought this story up vanished, and so you're stuck with this. I like the rest of it, though.

On a sidenote, I suggest everyone listen to the song **If I Die Young** by **The Band Perry**. It doesn't have to do with this story, but it is a _really good_ song. Warning, it is a country song.

Enjoy!

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Hunted**

The last of the glass clattering to the floor, Sora looked at the intruder with obvious fear. The man was taller than him, with hair just a shade darker and extremely sharp eyes. A scar ran from above his right eye, across the bridge of his nose, and ending under his left eye. He gave Sora a quick side glance which froze the boy solid, before turning his attention back to the vampire still sitting on the bed, raising the loaded crossbow in his hand.

"Riku, look out!" Sora yelled, tackling his boyfriend to the bed as an arrow sliced through the air above his head, the silver head burying itself into the wall. Still laying on the silverette's chest, Sora shot a glare back at the man.

"Geez, Leon," an annoyed voice whined. "You couldn't have just opened the window?" A spike of red hair appeared over the window sill, followed by more spikes and a head, then hands, and the rest of the body, until the new person pulled himself into the room as well.

A strong hand grabbed Sora's arm, yanking the younger brunette away from Riku and tossing him casually to the redhead. "Hold him, Axel, so he doesn't get in the way again," Leon stated casually, reloading his crossbow and Riku shook and tried to find a way out of the mess he was in.

_This man must be a hunter_, he realized, again regretting having not taken up Xemnas' offer. _Maybe I could…_ he didn't have to finish that thought, instead leaping straight for the man. He was a vampire, after all, that meant he was stronger than a human. He should be able to take this guy on, right?

Leon held his weapon up, catching Riku's clawed hand on it and shoving him back. Following the vampire, the experienced hunter retrieved a silver knife as he landed on top of the teenager, crossbow pinning Riku's hands.

"Leave Riku alone!" Sora yelled, struggling against the restraining hands on his wrists. His captor had no plans of letting him go, though, and tightened his grip almost painfully. "Stop it! What did Riku ever do to you?"

"Not to me, but to other people," came the cool voice of the older man. "Don't tell me you haven't realized your friend here is a vampire? How many people do you think he has killed?"

"Riku hasn't hurt anyone!" Sora yelled again, struggling harder as the blade neared his boyfriend's throat. He threw his weight to one side, almost overbalancing the redhead holding him. All it succeeded in, though, was exposing the bite wound that was still healing on his neck.

"Um, Leon," Axel started, apprehension rising in his tone. The addressed hunter glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Sora stomp his foot down on Axel's foot, his companion's grip loosening and allowing Sora to free one of his arms. In a swift movement, the younger brunette balled his hand into a fist and threw it at the taller male's face, catching him in the nose.

Quickly turning his attention back to the vampire, who was struggling futilely beneath him, he brought the knife down again, only to have a new weight on his back and a force trying to pull his hand back. "Leave my boyfriend alone!" Sora screamed right in Leon's ear, stunning him long enough for Riku to throw him off. He fell backwards, landing on Sora who was still on his back.

Before the silverette could do anything else, the hunter was up again, grabbing Sora's shirt and yanking him around so he was between him and the vampire. "You dumb brat, do you not get what a vampire is!" Leon growled.

"I know perfectly well that Riku is a vampire," Sora stated, matching the glare Leon sent him despite the fear that almost paralyzed him. "And I know for a fact that Riku doesn't kill. If he did, I'd be dead right now." To prove his point, Sora turned his head a bit, revealing the fang marks.

Leon was about to shout back, something about how stupid Sora was for trusting Riku, or something, but something else cut him off. The fragments of glass that once littered the floor were rising, moving back to the window sill and reforming. Fitting together like a jigsaw puzzle, the cracks slowly melted together, as if time was reversing, and forming one pane of glass again. Then the window slid open with a loud thud.

"Always crude, aren't you, Leon?" a calm voice asked.

"Cloud," the hunter whispered, releasing Sora's shirt and turning to face the open window. There was the sound of laughter growing more distant, and Leon immediately ran to the window. "Come on Axel, we're leaving! And you, vampire, if I catch you again you won't be so lucky!" With that, the older brunette vanished into the night, the redhead right behind him.

Both boys that were left collapsed, thanking every god they could think of for whoever had drawn the hunter away. Shaking, they made their way out of the room, wandering into the living room, planning on not falling asleep for the rest of the night.

* * *

Riku had left early that morning, though Sora was not sure as to where he went. Most likely it was home, to keep Sora from getting caught up in the mess any more. Like Sora was going to stay out of it! He was already fully dressed and halfway through a breakfast of eggs and sausage when his brother came downstairs to get ready for school. "You're up early," a sleepy Roxas yawned, opening the dryer to retrieve a pair of baggy cargos.

"Couldn't sleep last night," Sora admitted, grabbing the piece of toast he had put in the toaster as it popped up. "Hey, could you do me a fa~vor?" he asked, prolonging the a in favor. He received a cold look from his twin. "I'll finish your history homework for you."

A thoughtful expression on his face, Roxas caved. Just offer to do his history homework for him (his least favorite subject) and you could get pretty much anything except his DS and his virginity. "Okay, what is it you want?" he grumbled.

"I need you to tell Mom I went to school early and be back here in time to get the call saying I wasn't at school," Sora answered, gathering up a small pack he had stuffed snacks in.

"Fine," Roxas replied, watching the scurrying form of his brother. "Can I ask what it is you are going to be doing?"

Sora stopped, a thoughtful expression on his face. "What would you do if I told you Riku's a vampire?" he asked.

"I'd say you were crazy," came the smart reply, the blonde sighing at the angered glare he received. "Does it really change who Riku is? So long as he doesn't have to kill people, what does it matter?"

"Well, he is," Sora said almost immediately. "And I'm going to go find the hunters that attacked us last night and see if I can get them to leave Riku alone. Maybe I can negotiate with them, like give them a place to stay in exchange for Riku's safety."

"So he actually _is_ a vampire?" Roxas asked. The brunette gave a small nod in reply. "Whatever. I still think you're crazy. You're just lucky Mom likes having guests, or your plan would have a snag."

"Thank you Roxas. See you later," Sora said, rushing out the door.

Not wasting any time, he headed straight for the center of town, the most likely place two tourists would be (not that Leon and Axel are tourist, but that was the first thing Sora came up with...). Few people were out this early, but of the ones he could see Leon and Axel weren't among them. Running down the street, the small brunette peered into open shop windows, searching for his targets.

More people began to join the few already on the street, the sidewalks soon becoming crowded. Sora was beginning to realize how difficult his search was going to be. Not only would he have to be on the same street as them, but he'd also have to be lucky enough to spot the hunters. That is, if they hadn't already gotten a hotel room. One more flaw in his plan; did he really expect them to come here without money for room and board?

Sighing, he was about to just head to school, figuring he might be able to make it to first period before the bell for second rang when memories of the previous night jolted his senses. Was he really going to let Riku get that terrified again? Shaking his head, the sixteen-year-old started searching again, unaware of the pair of eyes on his back.

"Nothing," Sora breathed a few hours later, sitting down against a wall and pulling a granola bar out of his bag. "How the hell am I supposed to find them in this cr—mmph!" A hand was placed over his mouth, effectively cutting him off and pulling him back into an alley.

"Now what might you be doing here?" a familiar voice asked. The hand retreated, and Sora was able to turn and see his captor. Lo and behold, there stood the very people he was trying to find.

"I was looking for you," he said, standing with as much confidence as he could muster and brushing the non-existent dust from his clothes. "I was going to offer you a place to stay, if you didn't already have one."

Leon chuckled a bit at that. "Need protection from you _boyfriend_ already?" he asked. "I told you vampires are-"

"No," came the curt reply. Prejudice was the one thing Sora could not stand (along with thievery [sorry Kairi] and drug dealing/using and alcohol). "I was going to offer you a place in exchange for Riku's safety. That is, unless you're as prejudice about homosexuals as you are towards vampires. Then you can go shoot yourself in an alley for all I care."

"You want me to turn my eyes away from a vampire?" Leon snapped. To Sora's relief, he didn't say anything about the second 'condition.' "They are nothing but bloodsucking monsters!"

"He's a teenager!" Sora yelled back. "No different from me or my brother except for the fact that his diet is slightly different! He still has his own problems and fears and feelings!"

"He's a demon!" Leon yelled over the angry teen.

"He's better than us!" the younger brunette shot, leaving Leon sputtering. "At least he doesn't have to kill his meals! You spout all that self-righteous crap about how he must feed on humans so he must be evil, but what do humans feed on? Cows, sheep, pigs, deer, and we have to kill them for our meals! But when an animal, say a tiger or a bear, kills a human they are labeled a monster! If you want to point fingers then point them at yourself! Quit talking about Riku like you know him until you actually do!" Tears formed in the teen's eyes, silencing any protests from the two people before him. "Maybe if you got to know him, you would change your mind. If you want a place to stay, you know where I live." Mutely, Sora turned and left.

* * *

Riku snuck in his front door, trying not to wake his parents. His mind hammered him to sleep, but his nerves run a mile a minute, effectively preventing any such thing. He jumped at every noise, from the wind rushing passed a car outside to a fly buzzing around the room. Shadow's scared him into his night vision, his fried senses perceiving everything as an enemy.

Gently closing his bedroom door, the young vampire jumped out of his skin when someone spoke behind him. "This where you live?" it asked. Riku stiffened, slowly turning to face the unfamiliar voice. His window was open, the curtains blowing ever so slightly in the breeze. A man that looked to be in his early twenties leaned against the sill, his blonde hair spiked naturally.

"Who are you?" the silverette asked, hand fumbling for the doorknob, just in case he needed to leave.

"Is that a way to thank your savior?" the man asked, giving one small chuckle. Riku's frame seemed to ease up at that. "I'm not here to hurt you, though I can't say the same for my stalker. I just need a place to crash, and happened to see you as you were heading here."

"You still haven't told me your name," Riku said, moving from the door over to his bed and sitting down heavily. Leaning against the wall, he let his head hang forward in exhaustion.

"Normally you give your name first," the blonde said. "But I heard yours when that little brunette was telling Leon to let you go, so mine is Cloud."

"I don't know if you can stay here," Riku said truthfully. "My mom is very cautious, and I'm too exhausted right now to come up with an excuse for why I brought a stranger home. Besides, I thank you for what you did for me, but I really don't want to associate with any of your kind." Some part of him realized the way he worded that was incredibly rude, but the same part was also too tired to care at the moment.

"Try not to forget you are my kind," Cloud said, pushing off from the wall and walking casually over to the bed. He was acting impulsive, something the blonde vampire had only recently begun to do, but still didn't do too often. It was just that something told him he wanted to befriend this kid, that it could help him achieve his own ends. "Besides, I can help you."

"That's what the others said, too," the silverette scowled.

"How often do you have to drink blood? Twice a week?" the blonde asked, receiving a low growl in return from the younger male.

"_Once_ a week," Riku ground out, voice dipping dangerously low on the emphasized word.

"Okay, sorry," Cloud replied, sounding genuinely apologetic. "All I'm trying to get at, is I know how to make it so you only need blood once a month." Riku's eyes lit up with shock at that, and an underlying hint of hope. "It's not that difficult, you just have to eat right. I also know of the dangers a vampire can pose to a human. Like I said, _I can help you_."

The teen looked away, obviously going over what he had just heard, trying to decide what to do next. Shoulder slumping farther than they already were, he let out a defeated sigh. "Alright, but I still have the problem of explaining this to my mom."

"Tell her the truth," Cloud said nonchalantly, as if the truth was nothing more than 'I got a sliver.'

"What do you mean, 'tell her the truth?'" Riku nearly exploded. "You want me to just walk up to her and tell her I'm a vampire? This isn't something so casual! I've been turned into some kind of mon-"

The other vampire cut him off there. "Do you really think she'll hate you for this?" he asked. "Since you are living in the same house as her, don't you think she has the right to know?" Silence was all the answer he needed. Without another word, the blonde grabbed Riku's wrist roughly and drug him from the room, heading determinedly down the hall.

"My parents' room is that way…" the silverette sighed after a couple seconds. Giving something that sounded like 'I knew that' he quickly turned them around, nearly giving Riku whiplash, the teenager merely shaking his head.

A rough hand banged unceremoniously loud on the closed door, the noise causing Riku to wince. It seemed this man's words weren't the only non-delicate thing about him (currently excluding his appearance for Cloud was obviously muscular). A strange thought about how alike his dad this vampire was crossed Riku's mind before the afore mentioned man agitatedly opened the door.

"What do you want, Riku," his dad groggily growled, before realizing that tall blonde wasn't his son. "Who are you?"

"Can you and your wife come out to the living room? I need to talk to both of you," Cloud said, words flowing elegantly along with a slight bow. Oh sure, _now_ he was being delicate. At Riku's dad's glare and grumble, the blonde added, "It is something important about your son."

A thoughtful look passed over the other man's face, his green eyes focusing on Riku for a second (who shifted nervously) before he said, "We'll be out in ten minutes." Closing the door, the two on the other side could hear the _clump clump_ of the man's feet as he made his way back to the bed to wake Riku's mother.

Silently, Riku removed his hand from Cloud's grip and walked dejectedly to the living room, sitting almost rigidly against the arm of the couch. How would his parents react to the news? "Things will go just fine," Cloud assured, sitting on the opposite side of the couch.

It wasn't even ten minutes later the two adults entered the living room, both in night clothes and looking worried. Their obvious first thoughts were he got in trouble with the police. Second thought was he accidentally got a girl pregnant, though he had Sora so that shouldn't be it… "Could we at least get your name first, young man?" Riku's dad asked.

"Normally you give your name first," Cloud stated.

"My apologies," the man gritted out, about to send a biting remark when a gentle hand touched his shoulder.

"My name is Akira, and this is my husband, Damian," Riku's mother said calmly. "Could you please tell us yours?"

"Cloud," the blonde said simply. "No last name. Our people don't normally use them, but we are allowed to choose our own if we desire."

"Your people?" Akira asked confusedly.

"_Our_ people," Cloud corrected. "Your son is one of my kind as well."

Two sets of eyes turned to the teenager who merely wanted to melt into the couch. He squirmed uncomfortably under their gaze. "Riku, what does he mean?" his dad asked, a hint of both fear and anger in the older man's voice.

A moment slipped by slowly, the silverette just looking down in shame. Just when they all thought he wouldn't speak, three words floated through the empty space, "I'm a vampire."

Shock passed over his parents face before Damian started laughing outrageously. "That's a good one, son, but do you really think we'll fall for that? Now what exactly have you gotten cau-" a swift hand hit the side of his head, and Damian looked over to see his wife's angry expression.

"I think he's being serious," she said surprisingly calmly. Turning to face her son, she stood and moved so she was kneeling just in front of him. "What happened, Riku?"

Swallowing thickly, the teen tried several times to start it, but knew not where to begin. How far back should he go? Well, his mother knew he would work at a host bar, he being on of the few that wouldn't degrade himself by selling his body. He recalled telling her several times about his boss. He guessed he could start the night it happened then. Slowly, he recounted the facts for them, this being the first time Cloud had heard the story as well. That just gave Cloud all the more reason to insist on helping the sireless fledgling.

Akira and Damian listened dutifully to the story, still not sure whether it was true or not. When he finished, the woman carefully, pulled him into a comforting hug, gently petting his hair. Sighing several times, she finally said, "I'll be honest with you, Riku, but I'm not sure if I can believe that. It just seems… kind of like a fantasy."

"I'm not lying, Mom!" Riku cried, wrenching himself from her grip to look her in the eyes. "I'm not…" he added, shutting his teal eyes and worrying his lip a second before slowly opening his eyes again. Both his parents gasped at the intense red they now were. "I'm not… lying…" he said, a hint of fangs showing in his mouth as he spoke, the words catching in his throat. A warm hand brushed against his cheek, a single finger slipping passed his lips to gently touch one of his extended canines

"I'm sorry, Riku," she started, tears forming in her blue eyes. Leaning up enough that she could give him another hug, the only sound other than her quiet tears was the constant utterance of 'I'm sorry.'

After several moments, she finally calmed down, and was able to move back and sit with her husband (who was still in shock). "Okay, there is something else I need to talk to you about," Cloud spoke up, finally breaking the awkward silence that had befallen the room. "I planned on helping Riku, because he is now a fledgling without a sire. I will need a place to stay, though."

"You can stay in the guest room," Akira stated immediately. "It hasn't been used in a while, so I will need to clean it up a bit, though."

"I thank you greatly," the older vampire said, words once again elegant. "There are other things you will need to understand as well, that could greatly help your son…"

For the next several hours it was basically a Q and A session with Cloud, all of them (including Riku) learning more about vampires, including that all it took was a proper diet to allow Riku to go a month before he needed to drink blood. Akira was making a late lunch when they heard a soft knock on the front door. "Ah, Cloud, could you get that please?" the woman asked, since her and Riku were dirty with cooking ingredients and Damian had to leave for work earlier.

"I guess," the vampire answered, getting up and leaving his television show to answer the door. Opening the portal, he looked down on the short brunette that was with Riku the previous night. "Hello Sora, come in."

Riku perked at the name, looking between his mother and the door. Smiling, she motioned for him to go greet his boyfriend.

"Cloud? What are you doing at Riku's place?" Sora nearly exclaimed, startling the vampire.

"Wait, how do you know who I am?" the blonde asked.

"Huh? Oh! I heard Leon say your name last night, and I recognized your voice," the brunette smiled sheepishly. Suddenly seeing Riku, he pushed passed the older vampire and leapt at the silverette, encasing him in a hug and giving him a needy kiss. Ending the kiss, Sora buried his face in Riku's shoulder.

"Sora, what's wrong?" his boyfriend asked, wanting to comfort the boy but not wanted to get food stains on his shirt.

"Nothing much, just something upsetting," the boy stated, wiping his eyes and looking up to meet Riku's blue-green ones. "So what is Cloud doing here?"

* * *

Roxas managed to keep Sora out of trouble. The older twin had just finished him brother's homework as payment when he heard a quick rapping on the front door. Tiredly, the teenager approached the door, looking through the peephole to see a taller brunette and a redhead. Unlocking the door, he opened it for them. Both were looking away in shame. "Can I help you?" Sora yawned.

"We didn't have the money to stay somewhere else," Leon stated, finally turning to face the sixteen-year-old. "You said we could stay here, so we came to see if it was possible."

Suddenly Sora was wide awake. "There are a few rules, though," he said, holding up a finger like a Mother scolding the children in an orphanage.

"Yeah, we got it," Axel cut in. "Riku is immune, we can't hurt him."

"Alex," Sora glared, not too happy at being interrupted. Besides, he had a couple new rules as well.

"It's _Axel_, got it memorized?" the redhead shot back. He was about to say something else when the sight of a sleepy blonde cut him off. As it was, he nearly fell over trying to follow said blonde as he disappeared around a corner.

"Axel, whatever. There are a couple new rules as well," Sora said. "One, Riku isn't just immune from you, but from anyone else that might be with you."

"You mean we have to protect him from other hunters?" Leon asked, agitated.

"Yes," Sora answered quickly. "My main motive for doing this is to protect him, after all, got it memorized? (**A/N:** I just had to mock Axel, sorry.) I might be able to help you open your mind a little as well. Second, _no_ weapons in this house, or Riku's house. You can store them here, but they must _stay stored_ _and sheathed_ until you leave. Third, _any_ vampire is immune in my house or Riku's _unless_ they are posing an immediate threat."

Leon growled at that one. "What do you consider 'immediate danger?'"

"If they are going to forcibly bite or turn someone, kill someone, or commit a human crime such as theft or assault," the younger brunette stated. Grumbling, the two hunters slowly nodded. "Okay, then let's go introduce you to my parents!" Sora cheered. "Remember, you are my friends."

"Hey, who was that blonde kid from a second ago?" Axel finally cut in.

"My twin, Roxas," Sora answered. "And I'm not sure if he's gay or not."

Axel started stuttering and blushing, Leon covering his face with a hand. "Th-that's not what I meant by that!"

* * *

Okay, this chapter was over 4000 words. That took way too long to type... But I had fun doing it! Hope you had fun reading it!

The chapter title is not well explained in this chapter, but it has to do with Leon's and Cloud's relatinoship. Both are 'hunting' the other, so both are the hunted.


	6. Chapter 6: Similarities

Okay, something I noticed about this site is that it always shows more words for an uploaded document than Word does. In word, this chapter was 2999 words longs (just one away, damnit!). Anyway, I have to say that this is probably my favorite, or second favorite, or tied for favorite chapter so far. Also, just a warning, next cahpter or the one after that will change the rating of this fanfiction to M. Yes, that means there will be sex in it. I should have warned people sooner, I am sorry, but when I started this I wasn't sure if I was going to put sex into it. It turns out I am for I have found a reason for it, so you have been warned. I will probably find some way to warn people of the sex scene coming up, so that those who don't want to read it can skip it.

**I do not own Kingdome Hearts :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Similarities**

"Kind of hard to believe that actually went so smoothly," Leon stated as he sat down on one of the beds in the guest room. The mattress squeaked in protest to the added weight, the older male glaring down at it and wondering if he'd be able to get a good night's rest on that thing. Shifting his weight and pressing down on a different area of the mattress he was greeted with no more noise, so he guessed it was just the original compression that caused the springs to squeak.

"Yeah, but Sora did say that his parents loved having guests over," Axel responded, dropping his duffle bag at the end of his bed and flopping down on the mattress. Just as Leon's had, his bed growled at him at first, but quieted down. "Oh, to be able to sleep on an actual bed!" the redhead cooed, closing his eyes and leaning his head back as far as he could into the pillow. A chuckle had him sitting up in an instant, an annoyed glare on his face. "You know you're thinking the same thing! We've had to sleep outside for the last couple months because we didn't have the money to pay for a room."

"And whose fault do you think that is?" Leon asked. "I'm not the one who spent two-hundred dollars on candy."

"I wasn't the one stupid enough to get his weapon broken by a vampire," Axel shot back. "How much did that cost again? Five-hundred, wasn't it?"

"That was a necessary expense, I don't think candy is," the older hunter accused. By this time both were standing, intense glares locked in a battle and fists clenched. Money troubles had made them clash before, and it looked like this time was going to be no different.

"No fighting," Sora scolded from the door, the participants sending all their fury towards him instead for the interruptions. "You don't scare me," the younger brunette announced, turning to leave but looking back over his shoulder one last time before he shut the door. "Dinner is done, come out when you are more civil."

By that time the tension had eased and both had calmed down tremendously. Sighing, Leon took one last look at his own bag, and the weapons stored inside it. Kneeling beside it, he pulled out a small knife, lifting up his pant leg to stow the blade away at his ankle. What Sora didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right? And then at least he had that sense of security in a world where monsters and demons did exist. "Take yours as well," he told his companion. "Just make sure it stays hidden."

"Alright," Axel said, nodding as Leon vacated the room. He was soon to follow, coming into the room to find his plate already dished and set at the table, between Leon and Roxas. Sora gave him a small wink, one he only caught because he was looking right at the smaller brunette, suspicious he had set it up. The wink confirmed it, and he felt a small blush dust his cheeks. Sora had gotten it all wrong! He wasn't _gay_. (**A/N:** No, no. Axel isn't _gay_. He's just surprisingly _fruity_. Note the sarcasm.) Sure, had thought that blonde kid was cute, but that didn't mean he was gay, did it?

An elbow in his ribs caught his attention, and Axel looked over out of the corner of his eye at Leon. "Deny it all you want, but if you keep acting like that I might be convinced you're gay, too," he said discreetly, taking a bite nonchalantly after finishing.

"I'm not," Axel shot back equally quiet, glaring at his plate. Practically attacking his food, the redhead gaze the blonde to his left a sidelong glance, heat again flaring up in his cheeks. _Okay, maybe I am,_ he admitted.

* * *

Roxas was wary of the overbearing redhead, and for good reason. He figured, since Sora had claimed they were his 'friends,' that these were the hunters after Riku. He had no way of knowing just what type of person this Axel was, yet the guy kept trying to befriend him. Roxas suspected it was to get information on Riku, maybe go back on whatever deal he had made with Sora.

"Come on, can't I sit here?" Axel asked.

"I'm on to you, Hunter," the small blonde finally spat, "and I'm not giving you any information about Riku." That seemed to take the hunter aback, and Roxas felt like he had hit the bull's-eye. That is, until, the redhead replied.

"Wait, you know I'm a hunter?" he asked, all his confusion and shock clearly going into that singular question.

Frowning, he replied, "Yes I know. I'm the one who had to make the excuse so Sora could go find you and Mom wouldn't know." If he didn't want information about Riku, then why was he continually pestering him?

"So that means you know Riku is a vampire as well," Axel more so stated than asked. "Doesn't that, well, scare you? Knowing that your brother is dating a vampire? That he is in this house sometimes?"

Roxas watched as the hunter sat down next to him, without permission, he might add, that search for knowledge clear in his emerald eyes. "No, it doesn't," he replied, looking up to the TV and the forgotten show on it. "I've known Riku for a long time, and I have noticed no change in him since he turned. Sora told me when it was," he clarified. "If you want to know what scares me, then look ahead." The TV show on was CSI, the investigators currently looking over the corpse of a dead girl found in a pool.

"Water?" Axel asked, not quite getting what the boy was meaning.

"People," Roxas corrected. "People I don't know. You can never predict what a stranger will do because you don't know that person. That includes you. I don't know you, and I don't know what you might do."

A smile spread across the redhead's face, who quickly stood and offered the blonde a hand. "Well, then, my name is Axel. Got it memorized?" he asked. "Maybe we can start at that."

* * *

Riku nearly fainted the first time he came over. It wasn't Sora who answered the door, but it was a brunette. And as if the silverette would forget that face! His breath caught in his throat and he found his feet frozen to the concrete steps, his entire body rigid and unable to move. Leon glared at the teen, the thought of quickly drawing his ankle dagger and plunging it into the fledglings heart crossing his mind. Cold nights and complaints and fights stopped him, though, and he sighed in agitation as he moved to the side. "Are you coming in, or not?" he asked irately.

That seemed to jolt the young vampire out of his stupor, and, bowing, he quickly entered. Toeing off his shoes and leaving them in the entryway, he left Leon in his dust as he sped through the house towards his boyfriend's room.

"Ah, Riku!" the other brunette yelled, tackling the still shaken vampire. Before the silverette even had a chance to chuckle, his mouth was covered by the younger male's, his tongue swiftly sweeping through his open mouth. Pulling away just as fast, Sora grinned down at him.

A moment later, Riku finally caught up with his body, and he glared playfully as the boy seated on his stomach. "Come on, Sora, get off me," he complained, gently shoving the lighter teen until he was sitting on the ground and not him. "Hey, Sora," Riku began, his tone enough to quiet the giggles coming from the brunette. "Why is he here, that hunter?" The slight tremor in his limbs gave away his fear to Sora, who comfortingly placed a tanned hand over Riku's pale ones.

"Don't worry," he said sweetly. "I made a deal with them. I give them a place to stay and they leave you alone. There is also that any vampire in my or your house is also safe unless they are doing something harmful, but my main goal was to protect you. I believe… that if they get to know you better, see how you and I and Roxas all react, that maybe it can change their minds about vampires. Sure, some are probably evil, but that doesn't mean all are."

His smile seemed to calm the silverette down just as much as his words. Feeling completely exhausted, Riku leaned forward until his head was resting on Sora's shoulder. Leon, who had been listening to the conversation since Riku ran off, quickly knelt down and fingered his dagger hilt.

"I'm sorry Riku, I should have told you before you came over," Sora cooed lovingly, rubbing gently circles into Riku's back. "That must have been quite a shock, huh?"

"I'll be fine," the older teen mumbled. "Just kind of tired now."

Leon relaxed his grip on the hidden blade, watching intently as Sora shifted and moved to the point where Riku lifted his head in curiosity. The older teen gave a yelp as the younger brunette clumsily picked him up off the floor, overbalancing and backing up into a wall. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Riku practically yelled as he struggled to get free.

"C-carrying you. To bed, s-so you can rest," Sora stated, obviously struggling to keep a hold of his boyfriend. "It would be… easier if you'd stop… moving."

"Like hell I will, put me down," the silverette complained.

Leon leaned back against the wall, chuckling to himself. In an instant he was scolding himself for letting his guard down. Vampires were not good, and he had to remember that. He would not be fooled by their act!

* * *

A month. Such a short amount of time, yet long at the same time. So much, and so little, can happen in that span. This case was the former…

Leon sat on the bed given to him by Sora's family, a small item in his palm. Tapping a button on the side, the small square expanded into a translucent pad about twenty by thirty centimeters (for those of you not aware of the conversion to inches that is eight by twelve about), the edges of the squares set in the corners. Pressing a few keys on the clear pad itself, he was soon connected to headquarters, ready to give his weekly report. Most likely it would involve yelling again, since he had drug 'innocents' into the war between humans and vampires. Oh how badly he wanted to say that the guy he was living with was dating one, but he had promised to protect Riku. And as stated before, a month can be a long time.

"Leon! About time you checked in again!" came the enraged voice of Tifa. "You're not still at that place, are you?" she growled. The male hunter saw no need to reply, because just as he could see her surroundings, she could see his. "That is the exact same room you were in before! Why the hell haven't you left yet?"

"Maybe if I had the funds to I might," he retorted agitatedly. "As I told you, I am out of money and they offered me free room and board. It is better than starving on the cold streets. Then where would my aid be?"

"You are needlessly bringing unaware people into unnecessary danger, can't you see that?" Tifa asked.

Kneading his oncoming headache gently with one hand, he sent the woman on the other end a disinterested glare. "And I will be leaving an entire city in danger if I pass out because I haven't eaten in three days," he replied. "This is how the argument started last week, and I really don't want to have to cut you off again."

Still obviously pissed, Tifa let the subject drop, listening intently to the news Leon had to give her. To her surprise, the report was frightfully short. In a single week, the experienced hunter would take out anywhere from eight to ten vampires, varying in age to new fledglings to over five decades of undead age. The last two weeks he had been declining, and now he reported only two sightings. The expression on his face told her that he was definitely hiding something.

"Are vampires really that short in the city?" she asked, not pleased with the meager results.

Leon pondered lying to her, then telling the truth, then lying again. "I'm not sure," he finally settled with. "I may not have seen many, but I get the feeling that there are more around somewhere. I think I should remain posted here."

"And does any part of that have to do with _him_?" Tifa asked, an obvious edge in her voice.

"This was the last place I saw Cloud, but that was a month ago. No sign of him since," Leon stated, glaring at the wall. That simple action confirmed the statement true.

"Alright, but if I don't get better reports from you in three weeks, I'm moving you." With that, the screen went blank, the semi-transparent room on the pad turning into his legs. Closing the pad, he quickly stored it away in his bag, which he quickly tossed into the closet. Knowing Tifa, she would try to listen in through the device, and there were things said in this house he didn't want her to hear.

"Your girlfriend must be pretty angry at you," a cool voice said as he entered the hallway.

Sending the vampire a half-assed glare, Leon stopped and shook his head. "Hello Riku," he said in greeting, tone lacking its former malice and malcontent. "And she's not my girlfriend. You could say she is kind of like my boss."

"Well, she obviously doesn't pay you much, otherwise you would never have taken up residence here and I'd probably be dead," the silverette chuckled, falling in step next to the hunter as they made their way towards the living room and the rest of the congregation. Sora was sitting in the chair, waiting for his boyfriend to return, Axel was sitting on the couch, holding the remote eagerly, and Roxas was finishing up making popcorn in the kitchen. Leave it to teenagers to decide to have an all night movie marathon.

A month surely was a long time. It had taken maybe three days for Roxas and Axel to become best of friends, and maybe ten days for Leon to finally stop berating the redhead for divulging "classified information" to the blonde. At the moment it was unclear as to whether they were or weren't together, but if it was the former it wouldn't be for much longer. It had taken a week and a day for Riku to settle down with two vampire hunters in the room next to him, and another seven days to be able to talk to the two normally. Axel quickly warmed up to the fledgling, but it took Leon a bit longer. Now, though, he could actually say he had decent, civil conversations with the vampire.

"Here, Riku," Sora said sweetly, moving his spiky aside so it wouldn't poke his boyfriend in the eyes. Teal turned to red, a slight bit of hesitation clearly in the silverette's actions as he bent down and placed his lips at Sora's pulse. With the younger brunette drawing comforting circles on his back, Riku's fangs sank hungrily into his neck, piercing the jugular vein and sending that searing, delicious liquid cascading down his throat. Roxas stopped halfway to the couch, bowls of popcorn in hand, watching with mute fascination at the scene. It was, after all, the first time he had seen, or any vampire, for that matter, feeding. It was over a second later, Riku's elongated canines receding from the skin with his tongue gently lapping at the spilt drops of blood until the puncture wounds stopped bleeding. Sora grinned up at him, clearly lethargic but not dangerously so.

It had been a month since Riku fed.

And a month was still a long time, and a lot had happened. It may have taken three weeks for Leon to stop glaring at the silverette, who was now lifting Sora from his seat so he could sit with the drained boy in his lap, but it had only taken one for him to start questioning his hatred. It may have taken nearly four weeks to get that last hint of distaste from his words, but he had found himself growing closer to Riku around two. The change scared him, and it was around that second week that he let the first vampire go since he had become a hunter. By the third week he would stop and watch what they were doing, observing their actions. And it had only been the night before that he came upon one feeding. Instead of attacking, like he normally would, he simply watched, much as he had with Riku just a moment before. The vampire had gently lay his victim against the alley wall when he was done, checking her vitals with a phone in hand in case he took too much. The splash of a puddle as Leon drew closer scared him, that's for sure, but one look at the lowered weapon stopped any attack. Kneeling beside the possible deadly creature, back and neck exposed for a lethal strike, he checked the girl, nodding when he found that she should be fine and wake in the next couple hours. They stood at the entrance to that alleyway, completely silent, until she finally stumbled to her feet, making sure she wasn't attacked while unconscious.

In that month, Leon had learned the true differences between humans and vampires.

In that month, Leon had found none.

(In that month, Leon had decided to judge on a case-to-case basis.)

* * *

Okay, that last line is in parenthesis because I felt it doesn't fit well, but it needed to be said. So, it is more of an afterthought than part of the narative.


	7. Chapter 7: Cloud

It turns out that this chapter does not have sexual content, but the next one will. The next one will also most likely be longer than this one, maybe over 4000 words, judging by the content overview I put in the document for it. This is **_not_ **a guarentee that the next chapter will be that long, it is merely a possibility. After next chapter, though, I am still trying to iron out how it will go. I have several things I want to happen, but the timeline for it is drawn out over a time of several months (in the story) and I have to figure out how to get it all to fit into place how I want it to.

I actually had to look up the organization members, because I could not come up with the one person I was missing. Sorry Luxord, you just didn't leave a lasting impression in my mind.

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Cloud**

Dawn was peeking in through the window as the credits of the current movie they were watching slowly crawled up the screen. Neither twin got up to change it, and it was only then that Riku and Leon (the only two left awake) realized that at some point during the last movie their three companions had fallen asleep. The vampire had already realized, and had expected, Sora to fall off to sleep; he did just drink from him. He hadn't, though, noticed the quiet blonde and his new best friend doze off. Looking over at them, he only wished he had a camera so he could take a quick snapshot of the scene to tease Roxas about later.

Someone else, though, did have a camera, and Leon stood back enough to encompass just the two teenagers. Roxas had pulled his knees up until they rested slightly on Axel's lap; his head resting on the older male's shoulder, drooling slightly. Snuggled up as close as he could get to the redhead, he also had a light hold on the hunter's shirt sleeve. Axel wasn't nearly as entertaining. On arm was slung loosely around Roxas' waist, the other hand resting on the boy's knee with his head laying gently on Roxas'.

The snap of the photo being taken woke the redhead, his slight jump jolting Roxas awake as well. Obviously holding the same idea of blackmail as Riku had, Leon quickly hid the camera and turned around so he it looked liked he had turned off the TV and woke them.

"Huh… is it over already?" Roxas sleepily asked, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

"It was over several minutes ago. Finally up, sleepyheads?" Riku asked, carefully shifting Sora so he could stand. "Now you two, off to bed."

"What are you planning on doing with my brother?" Roxas grumbled, mind rebelling against working at the moment.

"I'm just going to put him to bed as well, then I'm going home," the silverette assured, chuckling slightly as the blonde leaned on Axel for support. Looking down at his other companion, Leon waved him off and pointed towards the stairs.

"I'm almost done here," he said. "Just take the kid up so he can get some proper rest." Nodding, Riku did as told, careful not to hit his exhausted boyfriend's head on the walls. Maneuvering into the small room, he gently laid Sora down on the bed, pulling the never-made covers over his slumbering body. Placing a small kiss on the boy's forehead, he quietly slipped from the room and made his way back downstairs.

"Be sure to get some rest yourself," Riku said as he passed by the living room on his way to the door.

"You don't just use the window?" Leon joked, referring to the many times Riku had snuck in in the middle of the night to see his boyfriend.

"No, that's reserved for hunters and special occasions," Riku teased back. "Like when my shoes aren't at the front door."

Saying his good-byes as he closed the door, Riku quickly made his way home. Closing the door with the stealth of experience, he nearly jumped out of his skin as Cloud greeted him. "Hello, you're back late," the tall blonde said, chuckling slightly at Riku's reaction. "Or should I say 'you're back early'?"

Calming his erratic breathing, the silverette sent one of his famous glares at the older vampire. "Must you sneak up on me like that?" he asked agitatedly.

"I didn't sneak," Cloud corrected. "I merely walked up behind you silently and hid my presence."

"Same thing, asshole," Riku growled."

"So, what were you doing?" he asked, making his way into the kitchen. "I see you've fed, too. Was that before or after you met up with Sora?" When no reply was offered, Cloud turned away from his cupboard snooping to see Riku staring at the floor. "Ah, so you fed off him. Not something to be ashamed about, Riku, and I'm sure he let you, didn't he?"

"Yeah," came the simple reply, still weighted down with solemnity.

"So what did you do _after_ you fed on him?" Cloud asked, inserting in a slightly suggestive tone that had Riku's cheeks red in an instant.

"W-we didn't do that!" the teenager shouted, covering his mouth afterwards for fear he woke his parents. "We just stayed up all night watching movies, Sora, and Roxas, and Axel, and Leon, and I."

"Leon, too?" the blonde asked, nearly cracking up when Riku nodded yes. "The kids must have convinced him to do it; he's always had a soft spot for them." For not the first time, Riku wondered just how far back Leon and Cloud went, but he kept his mouth shut. There were several hints it was before the former became a hunter. Voice turning serious, Cloud continued, "But I will warn you this, be careful when you do have sex with Sora."

"What makes you think I'm going to sleep with him?" Riku asked, kind of irate that Cloud was prying into his personal life.

"If not Sora then it will be someone else later, though I doubt you'll be leaving the kid anytime soon," Cloud stated. "That is, unless you're planning on being a virgin for the rest of you immortal life. All I wanted to say was be careful. At such a young age you will have a harder time controlling you vampiric impulses. As such, if you were to sleep with him, I'd say probably if you haven't drank blood in two weeks, there is a good chance you would lose control and turn him." A grave expression came over Riku's features, and the young fledgling became rooted to the spot. "It is there in every vampire, it's just that the older you get the easier it is to control the desire. Understand?"

The silverette gave stiff nod, gulping down an uncomfortable lump in his throat. "Why is it only during sex? Why not while feeding?" he asked.

"Because turning a human into a vampire isn't part of the feeding instinct, but it does have a foot in the reproductive one. Because way back when all vampires could reproduce with one of their own kind. So, if a vampire fell in love with a human, the instinct was to turn them so children could be made. It's never been extinguished from the gene pool, even though most vampires are infertile now."

* * *

Riku once more found himself in front of the entrance to Castle Oblivion. It was light out, and the club didn't open until dusk, so he knew there wouldn't be the problem of interfering with customers. Xemnas had changed the place a bit, making it into a lounge and bar instead of a host bar. All the employees were vampires now, too, including the four bouncers, Lexaeus, Xaldin, Xigbar, and Saix.

Opening the door with a defeated sigh, he was immediately greeted by a face he didn't recognize. "Sorry, kiddy, we aren't open now," the blonde woman said, her nose just an inch from his.

"Hey Riku!" Demyx said right about the same time the girl spoke. She whipped her head around to stare at a grinning and waving Demyx, then shook her head and backed up a step. She seemed to give Riku a thoughtful look, before grinning, showing fangs and glowing blue eyes.

_She's a Blue-eyes?_ Riku asked himself. That told him a lot. Cloud had told him before that there were two types of vampires, and the easiest way to tell them apart was with their eyes. They were separated into Blue-eyed and Red-eyed, the most notable difference between the two being that only the Blue-eyed vampires were fertile. They were rapidly on the decline, mainly from inter- and external family wars. At one point all vampires were Blue-eyed, but over the millennia of incorporating human blood into the lines, it thinned to the point where most vampires were Red-eyed, infertile. Blue-eyed vampires also had more strength and speed, and stronger abilities. Cloud's ability to mend the broken glass from Sora's window was an example of one of those abilities. With time, stronger Red-eyed vampires like Riku (who was turned by a vampire that was just barely a Red-eyes himself, seeing as to how his twin brother is a Blue-eyes) would be able to use some of those abilities, but not the level someone like Cloud could.

"This one's cute," she said, moving towards him quite seductively. "Think the owner will mind if I play with him a bit?" she asked the other blonde in the room, lightly touching Riku's shoulder.

The silverette was completely passive, unresponsive to her advances. Politely removing her hand from his body, he looked her right in the eyes and said, "Sorry love, I'm already taken."

"What she don't know won't hurt her," the girl cooed, hiking one of her legs up his sensually, still trying her game of lust.

Almost physically sighing, he leaned down so his mouth was next to her ear, wanting to be sure he heard him clearly. "I'm gay," he stated flatly. Her movement stopped instantly, and puffing her cheeks irately, she detangled herself from his body.

"You're no fun," she whined, turning away from him and strutting away, muttering something about "now there's more of them."

Giving her one last, strange look, the silver-haired fledgling made his way over to the (still) waving blonde. "Riku's come to visit again!" Demyx yelled, launching himself at Riku, who deftly moved out of the way, watching as the idiotic vampire landed on his face.

Zexion peeked around the corner from the backroom, surveying the scene before saying, "You've become quite adept at that." Almost immediately his nose was back in his book.

"He caught me once, and I'm not making that mistake again," Riku stated. He had come to the place a couple times before, judging the atmosphere and never quite earning up the courage to actually do what he came to do. Although, this was the first time he had seen that female vampire. "Who exactly was that? That's the first time I've seen her… and she has a… strange… way of greeting people," he said, his tone holding a hint of sarcasm.

"That's Larxene, and you've been lucky enough to not meet her until now," Zexion replied, receiving a "hey, I heard that" from the female across the room. "She's from a very snobby family, and ran away to get away from it. Xemnas let her stay with us when we came across her, but she is gone most of the time before this place opens. As for her behavior… she normally sleeps with the people she drinks from."

"What's so wrong with that?" Larxene asked agitatedly. Somehow she had managed to get from the piano on the opposite wall to right behind Riku in a second. Speed like teleportation was another ability he'd learn later, once he got used to his body more. "We always just take blood and run, so I figured I should give my meals something in return!"

"Yes, yes, you've said this a hundred times before," Zexion said, never looking up from the page. "You came here for a reason, right, Riku?"

"Yeah, is the owner in?" the silverette asked, voice kind of low and quiet.

"Um… Yeah… And it doesn't look like the sign is on the door, so it should be safe to enter," the slate-haired vampire stated, looking up fro the pages just long enough to look for the 'do not enter' sign.

Figuring it was better not to ask, Riku just quickly eased himself out of the conversation and headed towards the door. Demyx, for some reason, had decided to stay on the floor where he fell, and the young vampire had to step over him. The blonde was immediately on his feet and beside him, smiling like an idiot. "Does this mean you're going to stay with us?" he asked.

"No," Riku said to the male he had come to call friend. His face seemed to fall at that. "I'm just going to see if I can work here, that's all." Demyx cheered up a bit, but still looked disappointed. Nodding swiftly, he turned on his heels and ran to the quiet vampire in a bartender's outfit, skidding to a stop right in front of his chair. Sighing, Zexion let go of his book long enough for Demyx to climb on his lap and position himself so he wasn't in the way.

Before he even had a chance to knock, Xemnas' voice said from the other side of the door, "Come in." Opening the wooden portal, Riku stepped inside and closed it. "You simply want a job, huh? Still don't want to spend too much time with your own kind?"

"I've had someone take me in already," Riku stated, looking away. Xemnas had offered first, almost insisted on it, yet he turned him down. Then not a week later he let someone else in. No matter how he looked at it, it had to be some kind of blow to the proud vampire.

"Can I ask you for their name?" he asked, folding his hands on his desk in an almost brooding manner.

"Cloud," Riku answered, surprised at the shock on the older male's face. Yes, he knew Cloud was a high class vampire, but from the look of things, he didn't entirely understand the situation.

"Cloud, huh? Well, at least you are in good hands," Xemnas muttered, staring off into a darkened corner of the room. "I just hope it doesn't bring you too much trouble." Sighing, he turned back to situation at hand. "Why exactly do you want a job? Why here? I though you despised vampires."

"Time changes opinions, I have seen that first hand and in the most astounding way. As for why here, I have taken the time to get to know some of your… clan, I think you called them at one point?"

"They are mostly orphans or fledgling abandoned by their sires. Zexion and Saix are the only ones I turned. Saix asked me to, and Zexion was deathly ill. Vexen turned Marluxia, then joined up with us when hunters persistently tailed them. Xigbar, Xaldin, and Lexaeus were discovered by Saix. They were young, in vampire years, and on a self-destructive path; I helped them. Larxene, you heard from Demyx asked Zexion to turn him just as Saix had asked me. And Luxord simply asked if he could come with us. Out of all of us, excluding me, he is the oldest. We all ended up traveling together, and became akin to a clan," Xemnas explained.

Giving a nod to indicate he understood, Riku continued, "I have become friends with some of them, and I used to work at this place. As it is now, I am doing nothing to help my family, and I want to do something to contribute. At the same time, I am still young and I will have a lower chance of being revealed here."

Acting as if he was pondering it, Xemnas said, "Okay, you're hired. I am guessing you have mixed drinks before?" A small nod was given. "Then you can work with Zexion and Luxord. That is, unless it is really slow, then I'll put you on cleaning duty in the kitchen; Marluxia will probably like the help. That will also be your job before and after closing time, alright?"

"Thanks?" Riku said, bowing slightly. "But if I may ask, doesn't Demyx clean? Why doesn't he help out in the kitchen?"

"That boy is only allowed to touch dishes during meal times, and then only if they are firmly on the table. It is almost dangerous to just give him utensils…"

* * *

A month is a long time, and a lot can happen in it. Over the course of a month, Cloud became so integrated in Riku's family that it was almost like he had always been there, and just forget everything prior to a month before. He was slowly being let into the families past, through home videos and photo albums. His teachings to Riku were going smoothly too, and the silverette was well on his way to becoming an independent vampire. And in that month, Cloud had started to consider himself part of the family. As such, when there was a knock on the door, he got up from what he was doing to go answer it.

In that month, it had only been luck that kept his whereabouts a secret.

Sora visited often, so he was simply expecting it to be the teenager again. It was a brunette, but it wasn't Sora. Both stood there, shocked and rooted in place, for a moment. Leon was the one to move first, launching himself suicidally at the vampire and tackling him to the floor. Cloud's response was purely self-defense, knocking Leon's weapon out of reach and preventing the hunter from retrieving any other piece of his deadly arsenal.

They lay there, wrestling for an upper hand, for several minutes before Sora did show up. "Leon!" the kid yelled, distracting the older brunette just enough to allow Cloud time to safely slam the hunter against the wall. "Not in Riku's house, you promised," he said, lower lip quivering and unspilt tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

"You knew this bastard was here, didn't you?" Leon yelled. "That's why you added those extra rules! Isn't it?"

"Yeah," Sora admitted. "He is helping Riku. It's because he is teaching Riku that Riku can go a month before he needs to feed. I don't think he's bad, Leon, or I would have told you. I don't know why you hate him so much, and I may be wrong about him, but maybe you are too."

Scoffing, the hunter glared at the vampire pinning him. Swiftly, Cloud moved back, watching as Leon went and retrieved his weapon. Not even giving the two a glance, he stormed out the door, stopping several feet away. Without even turning his head, he said, "I suggest you don't let me catch you outside of that house. For if I do, I will kill you." And then he continued leaving.

* * *

Now Leon is pissed. Don't worry, it will only last a few chapters at most (and most likely less). Not even Leon can stay mad at Sora.


	8. Chapter 8: Truth

I have gotten this chapter back up now. Sorry for the trouble. :'(

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts :'(  
**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Truth**

"Yes, I understand," Leon said, obviously extremely bored with the conversation. Even he could not deny the… effects… his current choice of company was having on him. In the last week he had actually stopped a total of zero vampires, and had actually helped a couple. Not that he could tell his boss that…

"Are you even listening, Leon?" an agitated Tifa scolded.

"Yes, I am," he replied dully, leaning back against the wall. Soon she would be attacking him again, shouting about how he was being lazy and that if he wasn't going to work there then he should move on.

"Well, then listen to this," she growled, fully pissed at the shit he'd been pulling. "You are to return home. Now. That's an order from the boss."

The brunette was suddenly very interested in the conversation, and sat up. "Why do I need to return?" he asked, skeptical.

"We need to evaluate your ability to do this job," she stated, glaring through the screen. "I'm afraid you are too close to this, and it could be compromising your judgment."

"T-too close?" he stuttered, afraid they had learned of Riku. "What do you mean, 'too close'?"

"That vampire you're chasing, Cloud, wasn't it?" she asked. "He killed your family, right? I'm afraid you're too interested in finding him and aren't protecting normal citizens from other bloodsuckers. Yes, he's dangerous, but so are the others."

"I know," Leon assured. "Look, I honestly haven't found any danger yet. Give me a while longer."

She sat back for a moment, staring at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Alright, you have three more weeks," she said. "If you aren't back up to your normal level, I will order you to come back, or put _you_ on the hunted list, understood?"

"Entirely," he said nervously, bowing his head slightly. _I'll have to start lying or she might come to get me herself…_ he thought, not enjoying that thought at all. Rule one of hunter safety, _do not_ piss off Tifa.

"Good," she said cheerfully. "Now, I do want you to do something for me. I got word a group of vamps I've been chasing have wound up in your city. Be cautious, though, there are eleven of them, a couple Blue-eyes among them. I want you to find them, understand? Or report back that you couldn't."

"Alright, is that all?" Leon asked. At her nod, they both signed off, and he went about gathering up his supplies. Gunblade strapped to his waist, knives in his sleeves and pants legs, and a pistol in holster, he exited the room. "Hey, lovebird," he yelled as he passed the living room, startling his redheaded companion who was currently associating himself with Roxas' mouth. "I'm going out for a while, have to look into something for Tifa. Also, if we don't start making up kills for her, she's going to get… upset… with us, and might even come here herself. So, we'll have to make sure to collaborate our stories." Not even bothering to look at the teenager's affirmation, he left.

Leon had a pretty good idea of where the target vampires were; he had seen them several times over the past month. The sign, Castle Oblivion, was also easily distinguished, and everyone knew vampires loved being flashy. If this wasn't the place, then it was just some rich kid's son trying to be cool.

Opening the door, he was not prepared for what greeted him. Sure, Tifa had warned him there were eleven, but going from being alone to practically being surrounded was not very appealing. There was a blonde, and another blonde, dark gray hair, is that seriously pink? His hand instinctively jolted to his weapon, his shaky control the only thing keeping the blade in its sheath. That was probably the only thing that kept him alive there, and allowed him to take the several steps into the shop so he could close the door. Red and blue eyes watched as he slowly removed his hand from the hilt, holding both out to his sides slightly in a non-threatening stance.

"What are you doing here?" a low, enunciated voice asked. As the speaker stepped forward the half-circle of vampires split in the middle.

"Just looking," he replied, watching the new arrival intently. Like the female to his side, this one had blue eyes, which meant he needed to be cautious. "Thought I'd just drop by and get acquainted."

"A funny guy, huh?" Xemnas asked, giving a single chuckle. "You're a hunter, so tell me why I should let you leave here alive," he demanded, walking a slow circuit around the lone male.

Turning nothing but his head to follow the vampire, Leon waited until Xemnas was in front of him again to speak. "I did not come here to fight," he stated. "Necessarily."

"Necessarily?" the silverette asked, stopping to face the hunter.

"If I find you've been… ill-behaved… then I will have no choice but to eliminate you," Leon stated.

"And do you even think you can?" the girl asked, several in the group chuckling slightly. Several of the blood drinkers took offensive stances. Larxene was at the head of the group, doing everything except physically taunting Leon. Xaldin and Xigbar stood on either side of the girl, arms crossed and looking stern. Marluxia was grinning just off to the side, fangs showing menacingly, and Demyx _would_ have joined in, had Zexion not grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him back. Feeling threatened, Leon's hand instantly fell to his sword hilt again.

"That's enough, Larxene," a familiar voice scolded, a pale hand landing on the brunette's shoulder. "Stand down, Leon."

"Riku," several people said at once, Leon and Demyx included. The next few words were so jumbled they could not be discerned, not even by the hyperactive blonde whose mind never seemed to sit still.

"Who do you think you are, ordering me around?" Larxene hissed.

"Riku-chan, good to see you again!" Demyx yelled directly after Larxene spoke.

"I thought I told you not to call me that," Riku said, slightly irritated at the nickname.

"What are you doing here Riku?" Leon asked, momentarily ignoring the unknown vampires.

"I work here," the silverette stated, giving a slight wave to Xemnas. "I know this idiot, and he is no threat to any of you," Riku explained to Larxene, the female growling slightly before stalking out the door. "You're either suicidal or idiotic, to waltz right into this place. I know you knew there were vampires here," he said to Leon, pushing passed him. "Be right back, have to change."

With that, he left Leon in a slightly less hostile seeming situation. For several seconds, an awkward air draped over them. That is, until Demyx stepped forward and practically shoved his hand in Leon's. "I'm Demyx," the blonde cheered. "You know Riku? Are you Sora?"

The slate-haired vampire stepped forward at that time, and Leon half expected this one to be overly friendly as well. Though, he also half expected what really happened. Accompanied with a whiny "ow" from the blonde, Zexion smacked him upside the head. "Riku called him Leon, you idiot," he stated. "Please forgive him, he can't help it."

"Alright…" Leon said, almost jumping when the door behind him opened.

"You know…" came the drawl from the female vampire. "Now that I look at you, you're pretty hot, you know."

"If you take her up on that offer, she'll let you fuck her in exchange for a bit of blood," Riku stated as he came out of the back room in a bartender's outfit. "Not something I think you'll be willing to exchange, though."

"As if!" Leon growled, taking several steps away from her and accidentally bumping into the scarred, blue-haired bouncer.

The vampire didn't speak, merely held onto Leon's shoulders to prevent him from falling. "That's Saix," Xemnas introduced. "He speaks when he wants to, but is quiet a good deal of the time."

"Unless he's reporting on you or being screwed," Demyx mumbled, receiving another hit from Zexion.

"Learn to keep your mouth shut," the bookworm scolded, not looking up from whatever series he was currently reading.

"Did you see what you needed to?" the older silverette asked, moving to stand in front of Leon again.

The hunter gave a slight nod, acting on edge when he had in truth calmed down a great deal. He may not know these people much, but he did know Riku, and the teenager would not involve himself with these vampires if he didn't trust them. "I'll have to inform Tifa that I did not find the group she was searching for," he stated, more so for Riku than Xemnas.

"Ah, so you know that feisty girl?" Xemnas chuckled. "That girl has been after me and mine for a year now. I'm guessing you're the hunter Riku has told us about. I think we could become good friends," he said, offering his hand.

Slightly wary, Leon took it and gave it a firm shake. "I won't guarantee anything. We'll just have to see," he said, giving one last nod before he turned and left.

The blue eyes seemed to grin as his brunette target exited the building. With a mischievous grin on his face, the blonde-haired vampire reached into a pocket to retrieve a small, glass bottle (like the old ones ink was kept in). Shaking it to stir the contents, he leapt down from his perch, landing a few feet behind the hunter. "It's good to see you again," Cloud said cockily.

Leon jumped, drawing his sword and turning around simultaneously. "Cloud!" he yelled, charging his opponent before any questions could be asked. The vampire chuckled, easily stepping out of the way. Although, it looked more like he teleported. "You bastard! Hold still!"

"Such harsh words," Cloud teased. "And here I was trying to be nice." Leon charged again, feinting right but attacking left. Not that it did him much good. Against an opponent like Cloud, who was calm and collected (not to mention a powerful master vampire), Leon had no chance. The vampire tripped him, an act that caused the blonde to flinch. He didn't want to hurt Leon, but he needed enough time to set him plan in motion, and the effort to catch himself and stand back up should be just enough. Removing the cork stopper, Cloud tipped the bottle to his lips, holding the dark liquid in his mouth. Before Leon could regain his balance, the blonde shoved him against the wall, crashing their mouths together and forcing the liquid down the hunter's throat. Taking a step back to allow Leon room to breath and cough out the small amount that went down the wrong pipe, all he had to do now was wait.

* * *

His head was slightly fuzzy when he woke up, and he couldn't seem to remember where he was. The ceiling above him did not seem to be the one he had become used to over the past month, and the room seemed colder than he was used to. Though, that could be because he wasn't wearing anything.

_What!_

Leon sat up instantly, which he immediately realized to be a mistake when his head started pounding, almost like he was getting over a hangover. All he could do was sit there with the palms of his hands digging into his eyes to stem the burning.

It took several minutes, what felt maybe fifteen or twenty, to feel comfortable enough with his eyes open. Now he took the time to take in his surroundings. The room was painted a dark green; there was a desk next to the window with his gunblade leaning against it. His shirt was hanging loosely on the chair, someone else's shirt on the floor around the chair legs. Someone else's, that thought stuck in his head and he immediately looked down at his body. There on his stomach was a white, sticky residue, a substance he easily recognized. _I-it's just your own_, he tried to convince himself, even though he knew it wasn't. He was in a strange bed in a strange room he didn't recognize without a stick of clothing on. The chances he was alone was slim to none.

Once he looked to his left, though, he wished he hadn't. His breath caught in his throat as he looked down at the one person he had hoped to not see; Cloud. The sheets were bunched around his waist, revealing the creamy white chest and abdomen, pretty much void off all hair except a small trail that descended from his naval. The vampire seemed to be asleep, and Leon had absolutely no desire to wake him. Moving agonizingly slow, the hunter slipped out of the bed without a noise. To the human ear, at least.

Scrambling around the room, he quickly gathered up his clothes. Completely bypassing his boxers (which he didn't want to take the time to find), Leon pulled his pants on with numb fingers. Shaking from shock, he managed to pull his shirt over his head with no problems, but could not coordinate his fingers enough to buckle his belts. Pulling them out of the loops and throwing them over his shoulder, he grabbed his gunblade and sprinted from the room, also not bothering to search for the four knives that obviously were no longer on his wrists and ankles. Still laying in bed, Cloud propped himself up on his elbows, staring at the slowly closing door. "I think that went quite well," he said to the empty room. "Now I need a shower."

Quietly making his way through the house, he finally started to recognize his location; Riku's house. That did make sense; Cloud was living at the young fledgling's place. He knew that detail would be helpful later and stored it away. After all, his mind was too jumbled to think straight.

Leon carefully closed the front door behind, having no desire to wake the sleeping twins, and possibly Riku, upstairs. His trembling still not quelled, he made his way to the guest bedroom given to himself and Axel, closing the door a little harder than he intended. Axel, who had long since been used to waking at the slightest noise, jolted up, looking around out of habit. "Leon, thank the gods it's just you," he breathed when his eyes fell on the still shaken brunette. "Hey, are you okay? What's wrong?"

His legs collapsed once he was safe in the room, not even making it to his bed. Axel was quickly by his side, helping his mentor onto the more comfortable piece of furniture. He remained quiet for the several moments (a new record for Axel XD) it took Leon to calm down. The first words out of his mouth were, "I slept with him."

Taken aback slightly, Axel asked, "Slept with who?"

"Cloud," the brunette gulped, unable to look at the redhead. "I slept with him. I… I… I fucked a vampire. Damnit! Why they hell did I do something like that?"

"Well, uh, um," Axel articulated, unsure of what to say. "Well… you're not the only one," he said finally, grasping at straws. "I mean, Sora is dating a vampire as well."

It didn't seem to help much. "I hate Cloud," he tried to rationalize. "If I hate him why would I get in bed with him?" Unable to think of anything else to do, Axel started taking Leon's loose equipment and putting it away, frowning at the lack of the four silver blades. He was about to ask the brunette about it when he suddenly stood up. "Of course! Cloud is vulnerable," he said, an edge of desperation in his tone. "After sex Cloud is completely vulnerable because he quickly fell asleep. That means I can kill him easily."

"But you'll have to sleep with him again," Axel pointed out, the more experienced hunter's visage dropping at that.

Drawing his lips in a thin line, Leon stated, "If that's what it takes to rid this world of that scourge, I'll do it. I have once already, so a second time shouldn't matter all that much." Axel gave a stiff nod, looking away from his mentor. Never before had he seen the man so distressed.

* * *

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Returning, the vampire already seemed to be dozing off in the afterglow, not entirely in reality or the world of dreams. Grimly, Leon set to the task of finding his weapons to finish off the blonde.

They hadn't even been hidden and he quickly found them, stacked neatly in a corner. Removing one from the sheath, he walked calmly to the edge of the bed. Holding the knife just above Cloud's heart, he pulled back for momentum and… could not bring the knife back down. Emotions he didn't want to admit held his wrist, preventing him from killing the supposedly dangerous creature in front of him.

Hand falling to his side, Leon once again scrambled to redress, making sure to obtain his boxer shorts and hidden knives this time. Looking back one last time before he left, he could no longer deny the truth, even if he still refused to say it out loud.

He was still in love with Cloud.

* * *

**OoOoOoOoOoO** has replaced the sex scene. The full chapter is here: http(:)/angelic-hellspawn(.)deviantart(.)com/art/Infected-Chapter-08-306858063


	9. Chapter 9: Beginning

**This chapter is rated M for blood/gore. I have not marked the start of it because it is very important.**

I really meant to get this up sooner (my usual excuse, sorry), but I was kind of... distracted. First of all, I have over 38k words on the book I'm writing (which is close to 3/4th the length of this story) and then Christmas came up and my birthday and I got quite a few games, so I haven't been writing much...

Most of this chapter is a flashback, so you get to see into why Leon hated Cloud.

Please note that I am trying to work out some timeline issues with this fanfiction, so the next chapter might take a while to get done (I am planning on working on one chapter and then moving to the next work to do one chapter and that includes my book I'm writing).

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Beginning**

_The kid fell harshly to the cold earth, looking up through teary eyes at the teenager. His opponent stood over him with complete indifference, the fist he'd used to hit the boy held casually out in front of him. Emotionless, blue eyes stared down at him, all but daring him to stand up again. When no attempt was made, his brunette opponent slowly lowered his fist. "Now get out of here," the fifteen-year-old commanded, chuckling slightly as the bully tripped over his own feet in his rush. "Are you okay, Selphie?" he asked, turning and offering a hand to the girl behind him._

"_Yeah, I'm okay now Squall," she replied, chipper as ever despite just being harassed again. Her small stature and kind demeanor made her a good target, until one of her friends caught wind of the 'fun' and came to join the party. Her distress had also become a competition between two of her friends, neither Squall nor Seifer wanting to be outdone by the other. This rescue would put Squall ahead a point, which would no doubt lead to a fight and some kind of punishment from the Mother._

"_That's good," Squall said in reply, turning to walk away now that he had the confirmation. "You shouldn't let them push you around like that," he added, not even slowing his leisurely pace._

"_But then my Prince Charming couldn't come rescue me," the girl teased, skipping to catch up._

"_Who ever said I was your Prince Charming?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow at her slightly._

"_Well, you do come save me, right?" Selphie giggled, slowing to match his pace but still skipping. "And besides, who ever said I was talking about you when I said that?"_

_There was a moment of silence, then came Squall's characteristic reply, "Whatever." Frowning at him, the girl puffed her cheeks out frustratedly before bounding off, determined to not let Squall's persistently sour mood ruin her day. She'd just go find Zell and bug him, the martial artist was normally up for a game or two, especially if it got him out of chores for an hour or two._

_Slowly shaking his head at the departing girl's back, Squall turned away from the orphanage building he was heading to, looking out instead towards the open field. The Mother, Edea, had always told them to stay clear of the field because she could not see into it very well, a large hedge and hill blocking most of her view. Of course, Squall had never listened. She told everyone not to go there, meaning that when he went he could be alone. Having ditched Selphie (or her ditching him), he now made his way towards that vast expanse of grass and flowers._

_Making sure not to pick any particular path, and thus never leaving a lasting trail, Squall made his way towards a secluded spot with a hill on one side and boulders on another, providing shade. The grass was soft and made a nice blanket on the otherwise hard soil, a place where the reclusive teenager could just lay and look at the sky. Half of the time he would simply place an arm over his eyes and doze off, taking comfort in the warm breeze and cool shade. Being ever vigilant, he would normally wake within a couple hours and casually make his way back home. Edea would usually be worried about his mysterious disappearance, but after several years she had become conditioned to it. Other than a quick scolding for vanishing he got no punishment; that, too, had exhausted its usefulness._

"_Hey, are you okay?" an unfamiliar voice asked, interrupting his nap. Soft blue eyes shot open and alert body jolted to s crouched position, scanning the area for the source of the voice. "Up here," it came again, drawing Squall's attention behind him. There, sitting quite contented-looking on a shady boulder, was a blonde boy who looked somewhere around the age of sixteen. His clothing looked expensive, an automatic warning sign for the not-well-off teenager, and his eyes almost shone a bright blue._

"_Who are you?" Squall shot, backing away from the stranger._

"_Cloud," the boy replied, casually sliding of his perch to his feet. "You don't have to be so defensive, um…" he started, trailing away where he would have put the brunette's name._

"_Squall," he replied, not relaxing in the slightest. "Squall Leonhart. What are you doing here?"_

"_I'd reckon the same thing you were," Cloud replied, leaning back against the oversized rock that had been his seat a moment before. "I figured I'd enjoy my solitude and take a walk. I just happened to come across you."_

"_I'll be going now," Squall stated in return, turning his back to the strange boy uneasily to walk away._

"_Wait," Cloud called, jogging towards the brunette a couple steps. Squall slowly came to a stop, glancing back over his shoulder at the other teenager. "Can I meet you here again?" he asked._

_Debating it for a moment, Squall cautiously nodded before continuing on his way. It was about time for him to be heading back anyway, and this would give him time to think about it._

* * *

_As the days grew longer Squall found himself sneaking off earlier and earlier, and returning later and later to the orphanage. Seifer really started to become Selphie Knight-in-Shining-Armor because Squall wasn't even around half of the time to protect her. A part of him felt really bad for abandoning his friend like that, but she did still have his frival (friend/rival) and the introverted brunette was finding he quite enjoyed Cloud's company. The blonde had some strange… quirks… about his personality, but they were always on the same page with the important things. He could tell when something was wrong with his new friend, and the older male (Cloud confirmed he was sixteen) knew when to not pry into Squall's problems. If he left it alone Squall would normally start talking about it after a while anyway._

_Talking wasn't the only thing the two would do together. Many games were tested by the two, including finding shapes in the clouds, which normally sent the two into outrageous fits of laughter. At one time, just to make a joke, the normally mature Cloud pointed to a long, thin cloud and said it looked like a penis (his penis, to be exact), rewarding him with a strange expression from his companion before the brunette burst into laughter. He wasn't allowed to live it down for weeks. On the days when they were tired or lazy, they would normally lie down in the groove Cloud first met Squall in and doze off, silently thankful for the company._

_Fighting was another thing the two did, with sticks they pretended were swords. The 'clash and clang' of 'metal on metal' could be heard for several feet around them in that fragrant meadow, petals and pollen being disturbed by their fast moving feet._

"_You're so slow," Cloud teased as he dodged another 'deadly blow' from Squall's weapon._

"_I don't want to kill you yet," the brunette retorted, feinted to one side and giving the cocky blonde a good slap on the other cheek (sometimes face and sometimes ass, and not always with his 'sword'). "I prefer to play with my kill first."_

"_Yeah, well play with this," Cloud grinned, throwing the weapon in his hand deftly at his opponent. The stick fly end over end enough times that both lost track of which was supposed to be the tip and which was the hilt, but they knew it was one or the other than hit Squall in the chest._

_Playing the part of the wounded soldier, his hand flew to his heart. "Oh, you've got me," he articulated, moaning in mock pain and slowly starting to fall forward. Chuckling at his friend's antics, the blonde moved forward and casually caught his falling opponent. He wasn't expecting Squall to throw all his weight at him, though, so when he did they both toppled over backwards._

"_Okay, Squall, very funny," the blonde said sarcastically, rolling his eyes at the boy on top of him. There was little expression on the brunette's face, but his eyes were smiling. Then the smile slowly faded into a look of uncertainty. Cloud was about to ask what was wrong when he noticed Squall's face as getting closer to his. Holding his breath for a moment, he could barely believe it when he felt those soft lips on his. The residual shock was enough to incapacitate him for a moment; a moment too long, almost, for Squall leaned back and stared at the shocked expression fearfully._

_Reaching up with a pale hand, Cloud pulled the younger male back for a second kiss. Swiftly rolling their positions so he was on top, the blonde quickly deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue passed Squall lips. The taste was intoxicating, and it was all he could do to remember that Squall did have to breathe. Breaking away from the kiss, Cloud immediately set to work on the brunette's neck, barely giving him enough to inhale sharply._

"_Ah, C-Cloud, your hand is c-cold," Squall moaned as Cloud's cold skin found it's way under his shirt, torn between stopping the quite enjoyable ministrations and exerting his dominance over the older male._

_Almost immediately, the blonde pulled away completely, smiling down sheepishly at the disheveled brunette. "Sorry, I guess that should wait until later," he said._

"_What do you mean by that?" Squall asked._

_Collapsing so he was laying over the other boy's chest, head laying off the younger teen's shoulder, Cloud whispered, "You don't know how many times I've dreamed of screwing you."_

_Blushing profusely at that comment, the only thing he could come up with for a reply was, "W-what makes you think you'll be the one doing the screwing?"_

"_I guess we'll have to wait and see," the blonde said, chuckling slightly._

"_Yeah," Squall agreed, resting a hand on the other male's back. They stayed like that for several moments, calming themselves down and breathing in the other's scent. "Cloud, I think I love you," Squall stated after a time, creating an unseen smile on Cloud's face._

"_I think I love you too, Squall," the blonde replied._

_Neither heard the low growl or saw the figure that created it. To say the least, she was not happy with the scene she had just witnessed._

* * *

_He could smell the problem before he even got to the orphanage; blood. After watching his parents get killed in the war it was an unmistakable stench to him. Starting to hyperventilate, he sped up, turning a corner to lay eyes on the ordinary-looking door. Cautiously approaching it, he was about to open it when he heard voices inside._

"_What did you do?" came Cloud's familiar voice._

"_I got rid of the problem," a woman replied. "Well, mostly, that brunette boy wasn't here."_

"_Why would you do this, Mom?" Cloud asked, desperation lacing his words._

"_Because he was becoming a distraction to you," she replied. "You have a duty to your people and I will not let this human distract you."_

_Unable to stand it any longer, Squall threw the doors open. He almost threw up right on the spot at the scene before him. Blood and body parts littered the church floor. Bodies were mutilated almost beyond recognition, thought the faces were left intact. Selphie's cold, dead eyes stared at him, her entrails strewn about the floor and church pews. Seifer, who he had spent many days fighting with, was not dismembered in front of the girl, missing both arms, half of a leg, and part of his torso. None of the others were better off, Zell being torn literally in half and Quistis having a large gash running from one shoulder to the opposite hip, a small amount of flesh barely keeping her body together. With the door finally open, the smells of death could finally assault him full force; not only the smell of blood, but also the smell of urine and intestinal contents._

_At first he could not locate Mother Edea, and after cringing at the sight of his friends his eyes turned to focus on Cloud. "Squall, this is not what it looks like, I swear," the blonde started, taking a couple steps. Horrified, the brunette nearly tripped down the couple steps leading up to the church._

"_Don't lie to him," the woman said, holding something that looked similar to leather in her hand. "Are you looking for her?" she asked, holding up the item for Squall to see._

_It was the Mother's face._

_Only then did he see her body. The woman was standing on what was let of Mother Edea's torso. One arm was still attached, but her head and everything below her naval was torn off. He could only guess, but most likely the blood sprayed on the altar and cross belonged to her. Closing his eyes against the horrific scene, Squall doubled over and expelled the contents of his stomach._

"_Now, don't you think you should join the-" she started, pausing when an arrow whizzed by her. It would have pierced her heart had she not moved. "You guys," she hissed at first, the anger slowly turning to amusement. Laughing manically, she said, "Very well, we will take our leave. Good luck, little boy. And just remember, this is all because you associated with us."_

_Still in a state of shock, he could only stare as she vanished, Cloud deftly dodging the arrows raining into the church. "Squall, I swear, I didn't mean for this to happen," he tried, wincing as an arrow caught him in the arm. "Squall, please…" he started, trailing off as the scared look in those blue pools turned to hate and rage. "I'm sorry."_

_A young girl walked up to him as Cloud turned and followed the woman. She had long, dark hair and kneeled down next to him, resting comforting hands on his shoulders. "Those were vampires," she explained. "They are made specifically to hunt and kill humans. I am sorry you had to see something like this. Squall, right? That's what he called you."_

"_No," the brunette said once he found his voice again. "Not Squall. From now on, please call me Leon."_

* * *

Leon walked through the door looking more broken than he had in years. Chuckling ironically at himself, he drug his body down the hall towards the room he had been given, wishing there was some way to turn back the clock. He wanted to hate Cloud again, for it was so much easier to hate him. Facing the truth was so much harder.

Cloud was someone he could blame, an opponent he might be able to defeat, when the true cause of his misery, the true reason everyone was dead was not because of Cloud, but because of that woman. He didn't know who she was, though, so he couldn't chase after her.

"So how'd it go?" Axel asked when he entered.

"It didn't," Leon replied, voice dead.

"What? Did he catch on to you?" the redhead pried, getting up off his bed. He nearly jumped back in fright at the weak laughter his mentor gave him in return.

"No, he didn't," the brunette stated. "I couldn't kill him. I couldn't get myself to kill him."

"Why?" Axel asked, voice unexpectedly sentimental.

"Because it's not his fault. He's not the one who killed my family. And I don't hate him. I never did."

* * *

Poor Leon, first losing his real family (yes, poor Laguna was killed :'( and then losing his orphanage family. And I know I have said in my profile that I won't do a Squall/Cloud but will do Leon/Cloud, yet I put 'Squall' in this. The reason for that is he changed to 'Leon' after that event, so it is (technically) a Leon/Cloud pairing.

And Sora and Riku will return! I just had to get out this Leon-centric chapter first.


	10. Chapter 10: Friends

Finally the long haitus is over! I am sorry for everyone who has been waiting for this chapter to come out. I was having trouble filling in time consistencies when I was last posting, so I didn't write a chapter for this one. Luckily, I found some events I could squeeze in to fill the gaps. I am hoping to have no more than 2 weeks between updates (but you all should know how well THAT goes), so cross your fingers and here's for hoping!

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Friends**

The change Sora saw in Leon was anything but subtle. The fact that Leon actually apologized for his behavior when he learned Cloud was staying at Riku's was enough to take the teenager aback. He looked as if he wanted to say more, yet not say anything else at all. So, Sora just smiled that naïve, disarming smile he and said he shouldn't worry about such things, deciding to not press the matter and the subject Leon was obviously uncomfortable with discussing until he was truly ready.

Almost opening his mouth to tell explain to Sora the reason for his outburst, Leon stopped at the last moment and instead said simply, "Thank you." Turning from the younger brunette, he slowly ambled away to brood or sulk or think; he wasn't entirely sure which.

Storing his worry for the hunter away in one of the clutter drawers in his mind, realizing that fretting over his solemn mood would do no good, Sora quickly chippered up and bolted upstairs. The unexpected interruption from Leon had temporarily made the sixteen-year-old forget the reason he had quickly scarfed down his breakfast. Humming merrily to himself as he went through several different pairs of shorts and just as many different shirts, he set about the daunting task of figuring out what to wear on his date with Riku. He nearly squealed like some girl (and even if he had he would have felt no embarrassment over it) at the mere thought of a movie date with Riku. After all, what couples went to a movie theater to watch movies anymore? The dark hall would let him have a nice, long make out session with Riku, and maybe if he gave the vampire his best pouty face Riku might flash him those exotic red eyes that he found terribly attractive.

He almost went for a Hawaiian theme, but it seemed too tacky for hanging out with his stoic boyfriend. No doubt if he came wearing such bright and flowery clothing the silverette would look at him funny the entire time and possibly call the date off all together. Other combinations were too dark or simply didn't match, and he ended up choosing a simple pair of red shorts and a white shirt, deciding to put on a pair of straw sandals downstairs while leaving his signature gloves and bulky shoes behind.

"And here I thought we might miss the movie with how long you were taking to get dressed," an amused voice said from the direction of his bedroom door. Letting out a surprised "eep," the brunette nearly jumped out of his skin at the unexpected sound and spun quickly to face the other male. A small, satisfied smile on his face, the silver-haired seventeen-year-old was casually leaning on the doorframe.

Suddenly realizing that Riku had to have been there when he was changing, Sora "eep"ed again and jumped back, crossing his wrists in front of his crotch. Riku's chuckle only succeeded in making his face glow a brighter red. "W-why were you just standing there watching me instead of announcing you were there?" he stammered.

Obviously in a good mood, Riku sauntered over and tangled his fingers in Sora's soft hair, planting a light kiss on the shorter teen's forehead. "I was enjoying the view," he cooed lovingly, leaning down slightly to place the second kiss on his flustered boyfriend's lips. Catching the fist swung at him in annoyance, Riku deepened the kiss by weaseling his tongue passed Sora's closed lips, forcing the younger teen back as well until he ran into the wall.

"You two are going to miss your movie if you don't pull yourselves out of each other's faces and get going soon," Roxas stated nonchalantly as he walked by the open door towards his room.

Startled into releasing Sora, Riku chuckled again before taking a couple leisurely steps back. "You heard him, we should get going," he added just as casually, extending a hand in Sora's direction.

Pouting for only a short second longer, the boy quickly took the offered hand and bolted for the door. Surprised by Sora's sudden eagerness since the younger male had been quite irritated with him just a moment before, he almost tripped over his feet and down the stairs. Once downstairs he barely had enough to slip on his sneakers before Sora tugged him out the door and down the street.

At some point between point A and point B their run to the movie theatre became a race. With Riku's vampiric blood, though, there was no way for Sora to win. Making sure to remain only a couple strides ahead of the younger male, he couldn't help but laugh at the brunette as he soundlessly insulted him while trying to catch his breath.

With Sora doubling over and panting heavily, Riku humorously patted the other teen's back and said, "Just catch your breath while I pay for the tickets."

Waving a dejected hand over his head since he was too exhausted to lift his head and nod, Sora tried to listen to his boyfriend's conversation with the ticket lady over his heavy breathing with little success. The only pieces he picked up were Riku mentioning the race to the theatre and the price for the tickets. Recovering by the time Riku had finished paying for the tickets, he silently followed the vampire into the lobby. "So what movie are we watching?" he asked as they approached the snack counter.

"What would you like, Sora?" the silverette asked.

"Skittles and popcorn," Sora replied enthusiastically, showing none of the fatigue he'd had literally a minute before.

"Alright," Riku chuckled, forking over the money for the overpriced junk food. Heading towards the theatres now, he added, "And what does it matter what movie go to? I don't think you planned to actually watch it, right?" Sora's answer was a disgruntled noise and something that sounded like "what makes you think that?" Chuckling again, he led the younger boy into the dark theatre room, leisurely draping an arm on the brunette's shoulders and leaning down to peck his cheek. "It's a scary movie, so everyone else should be more focused on kissing their own partner or clinging to their friends to notice anyone else," he explained.

"Oh. Thank you, Riku," Sora said quietly, removing Riku's arm from his shoulders so he could entwine their fingers instead as they looked for a sufficiently secluded spot. The seats they chose were halfway down the theatre on the left hand side, but it was the best place left available; the back corners had already been taken by other couples and the closest pair to them was several rows back and several more seats in in the middle section.

He had recognized the feel of Riku's presence before he saw the lighter-haired silverette. The younger vampire either didn't know how to search for another vampire's presence or simply hadn't noticed his for he seemed completely oblivious to the fact that he was there. The other male with him was obviously human, leading him to believe that must be the mysterious Sora.

The movie started soon after the two entered, helping drown out most of the noise caused by popcorn being eaten and couples sucking face. There were a few people genuinely scared by the movie as well, including the blonde desperately clinging to his arm. "Zexy, why did we have to go watch _this_ kind of movie?" Demyx asked, increasing his death grip on the slate-haired vampire's arm.

"You're the one who said you wanted to go watch a movie," Zexion stated, popping a lemonhead into his mouth.

"Y-yeah, but going to the theatre with your lover normally means a lot of kissing and stuff," Demyx rationalized, burying his face in Zexion's shoulder.

"I only agreed to go to the movies with you, not make out in this clichéd dark room. Some of us actually come to the movies to watch a movie," he deadpanned. He secretly enjoyed the feeling of having Demyx cling to him as if his life depended on it, not that he would ever tell anyone that. Awkward when it came to any social, he preferred to act indifferent when it came to matters of the heart; luckily he found someone who could handle his cold attitude.

Slowly scanning the area with his night vision eyes, Zexion found that most people were more interest in their partner's face than the big screen. Chuckling almost evilly in the direction of one particularly distracted couple, he extended his hand and flicked his middle finger towards them. Not a second later the girl screamed as the spider he conjured crawled up her exposed ass. "What did you do that for?" Demyx scolded, recognizing what his boyfriend had done.

"They don't need to be having sex in a theatre," Zexion replied simply, glancing sideways at the blonde. The almost depressed look the idiot had on his face betrayed him, telling the older male that he had thought about trying the same thing. Feeling his cheeks heat up, Zexion quickly turned back to observing the other customers.

Sora's hands were gently placed on either side of Riku's head as he pulled away just enough to speak. "Riku, can I ask you for something?" he asked lovingly. The fake-innocence and gentleness of his voice made the silver-haired vampire nervous, but he slowly nodded. "Will you make your eyes glow red?" he asked, almost wincing when he felt the older male stiffen in his hands. "It gives you a really exotic feel, and I like that side of you as well."

Pulling away and diverting his gaze, Riku worried his lower lip. After a short moment he apprehensively looked up his boyfriend out of the corner of his eye, the faint glow of red mostly hidden by his silver hair. A not-so-small smile on his face, Sora cupped Riku's cheek in the palm of his hand and turned his head to face him.

Sora softly pressed his lips to Riku's, waiting a moment to see if the older teen would deepen the kiss. Riku's anxiety was clear in his eyes, still red despite his trepidation, and showed no sign of him initiating anything. Almost sighing, the young human nudged his boyfriend's closed lips with his tongue. Determined to get what he wanted, Sora continued to push on Riku's tightly sealed lips until he final forced his way into the vampire's mouth. Enjoying the chance to explore the other boy's mouth, since Riku normally French kissed him, not the other way around, he wasn't expecting Riku to suddenly jolt away from him and was surprised by it. He had barely felt the small prick on his tongue from Riku's fang when it happened, but the slight coppery flavor that barely touched the corner of his taste buds told him the reason for his boyfriend's retreat.

Forcing his eyes back to their natural teal and pulling Sora closer to him until the younger boy's head was resting on his shoulder, Riku tangled his fingers in Sora's hair and asked, "Can we just stay like this and watch the movie now?"

"B-but it's scary…" Sora stuttered, receiving a rewarding laugh from the silverette.

* * *

Sora did not appreciate Riku's humor. He was genuinely freaked out by the movie (especially since he knew vampires existed, so some of the things in that movie might really exist too), and Riku decided that halfway through actually watching it that it would be fun to randomly run his fingers gently along Sora's arm and watch him jump out of his skin. "Come on, Sora, you don't need to sulk," Riku cooed, trying to appease his infuriated boyfriend.

"That was not funny at all!" the brunette shouted back, shying away from the other male's hand. "Don't touch me. I don't even want to talk to you right now," he hissed, pouting partially because he knew he'd feel bad for the way he treated Riku later.

"Would it change anything if I said I did so because I like having you cling to me?" Riku asked, trying to lay his hand on the shorter boy's shoulder again.

Snorting at the silverette's explanation, Sora mumbled, "That is no excuse," but let Riku grab him.

"I actually think you're really cute when you're scared," he added, gripping Sora's shoulder a little tighter and turning the younger male so he could plant a kiss on his lips.

Puffy his cheeks out and acting indifferent for a moment, Sora's act didn't hold up long and he soon gave Riku a return kiss on the cheek. "Just don't do that again," he mock-scolded. "I wanted to go to a movie theatre to make out with you, not get scared half to death by a stupid movie."

Taking Sora's hand in his, Riku replied, "I'm sorry. I just… Why do you like it when I make my eyes go red?" He self-consciously looked away, extremely uncomfortable with talking about anything dealing with his… condition… with Sora.

"I'm not too sure myself," Sora admitted, giving the hand in his a comforting squeeze. "Maybe it is merely because I don't get to see them very often."

"Oh, look, there's Riku!" Demyx said happily, grabbing Zexion's hand and trying to drag the older vampire in the direction he was pointing.

"Oh, no you don't," Zexion stated firmly, easily dragging his hyperactive boyfriend in the opposite direction. "Just leave them be."

"But I wanna go see Sora," the blonde whined, finally twisting out of the slate-haired male's grasp only for his shirt to be grabbed next.

"And I'm saying no. You don't need to be bugging them while they're on a date," Zexion replied. "Besides, you're the one who insisted on dragging me out here, and now you're going to leave me alone?"

"No!" Demyx shouted, turning on his heels in an instant. "We are going to find a nice place to eat and then catch a couple drinks on the way back!"

* * *

None of them were expecting a knock on the door. Leon was fiddling with his communicator in his room, Axel and Roxas were in the younger blonde's room in the middle of a huge make-out session (which Sora knew because he walked in without knocking to get his PSP, which Roxas had stolen), Riku had just arrived not ten minutes before, and the twins' parents weren't going to be back for another several hours, so no one should have been knocking at the door. Before the silver-haired vampire could warn his boyfriend that it might not be someone friendly behind that door the brunette was already opening it.

"Hiiiiiii!" the blonde on the other side cheered, a large smile on his face. The sound of the voice made Riku jump, the young male recognizing it immediately. "You must be Sora! It's nice to finally meet you!" Quite enthusiastically, the blonde grabbed Sora's hands and started shaking them wildly.

Obviously confused, Sora asked, "I'm sorry, but should I know you?"

"Oh! I'm Demyx! I work with Riku," he explained happily.

"Demyx, what are you—" Riku started, but was cut off by Sora's excited reply.

"You work with Riku? Why didn't you just say so?" the brunette replied, shaking Demyx's hands equally enthusiastically. "Come in! Any friend of Riku's is welcome here!"

The two walked passed Riku, the silverette covering his eyes with one hand and sighing. Footsteps made him look up and out the still open door. "What is he doing here?" he asked the male rapidly approaching.

"I looked away for two minutes and he slipped out," the slate-haired vampire explained, shaking his head at how well his and Riku's boyfriends were getting alone already.

"Ah, Zexy!" Demyx hollered, spotting the older vampire at the doorway with Riku. "Get in here!"

"Should I take him back?" Zexion asked as he closed the door and toed off his shoes.

"Too late for that now," Riku replied, watching as the blonde went to enthusiastically greet the other brunette, who had left his room to investigate the noise. "Might as well introduce you to them as well since Demyx will most likely be dragging you over here often now."

"Yeah, now that he knows where Sora lives," the older vampire stated. "And here I thought I avoided this when I pulled him away from you two yesterday after the movie."

Riku stopped for a second, feeling a blush creep into his cheeks. "Y-you two saw us?" he asked.

"We were in the same theatre as you," Zexion said. "You really should have Cloud teach you vampiric sense. I could feel you before you even entered."

"I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

A sadistic smile on his lips, the vampire looked down at the bustle of the streets below with cruel eyes. The people were just like ants, scurrying around with their pathetic lives, just waiting to die. He really couldn't understand what _he_ saw in these useless creatures. They were insignificant, imbecilic, and cruel. They killed more of their own than nature, animals, and vampires combined, yet they still multiplied like an incurable disease.

Laughing quite sardonically to himself, the master vampire leapt off the top of the building. He would find _that one_. In a city of millions it might take a while to find one little ant, but he would. And once he did, he would kill it slowly and agonizingly, torture it and show _him_ just how weak these humans were. Once _he_ saw the truth he would come home; _he_ would have no other choice.

Landing softly and gracefully in an alley, he glanced back out towards the bustling street. Just for the fun of it, he extended his hand towards a small girl in a pretty pink dress. A cruel smile on his face, he quickly closed his open hand. The girl's body suddenly contorted in, blood erupting from several places where bones had broke through skin. Some people nearby quickly rushed to her side, others looking on in horror, and the parents completely paralyzed by shock.

Turning away from the seen, he chuckled to himself. "See? How weak they are," he said to the empty alley, taking slow, leisurely strides down it. "Only fit for consumption. I will show you, don't you doubt, Cloud."

* * *

I wish I could have given you a longer chapter with the wait you had to endure, but ti ended up being only 3000 words. Hope you enjoyed it!


	11. Chapter 11: Seventeen

This chapter is back up finally.

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts :'(  
**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Seventeen**

Something nagged at the back of Cloud's mind. Lying his head down on the pillow and covering his eyes with the book he was reading, the blonde vampire tried to search for what alarm was going off in his head. It was almost like a small voice was trying to tell him something but he couldn't remember the language in which it spoke.

"What are you doing, Cloud?" Riku asked, disrupting his chain of thought. Walking casually into the room, the silver-haired teen sat backwards in the desk chair, resting his arms on the back rest and staring in his mentor's direction.

"Nothing," Cloud replied, sitting up and shoving the warning to the back of his mind for the time being. If the voice was still so small then he should have plenty of time to figure out what it was for. "You came here for something, right?"

"Vampiric sense," the fledgling replied, lifting one of his hands to rest his chin in. "Zexion told me about it, and how he knew I was coming before I even entered the theatre. Wouldn't not knowing it put me at a disadvantage?"

Cloud's blue eyes fell to the floor. He had hoped to wait a little longer before teaching Riku, but if the young vampire was coming to him then he had no choice but to oblige. "Yes, it does put you at a bit of a disadvantage," he admitted. "I was holding off on teaching you for your sake, though. I figured it would be best for you to come to terms with your new body before you learned just how different it really was. If you want to continue, though, we can start your training tonight."

Nodding, Riku stood and headed for the door. "I am ready to learn," he said simply, stopping in the doorway. "With Sora's help I will learn to be content with this form, and with your help I will learn how to protect him."

Getting up to follow his pupil, Cloud sent one last glance over his shoulder towards the window and shivered. That feeling was coming back again, and he couldn't help but feel something evil was approaching. Hoping he was wrong, Cloud ignored the feeling again and continued down the hallway. Even if something was coming, he refused to run. He had finally found the place he wanted to be and he was so close to getting Leon that whatever was coming he would face it head on.

* * *

Learning to look for other vampires wasn't difficult, but when it came down to hiding his presence Riku was having a bit more trouble. He nearly collapsed when on his third day of that training Cloud said he was going to try to sense other vampires at the same time, since one required containing his energy inside his body and the other was flooding the area with that same energy. What he didn't realize was flooding the area had only been a first step to teach him what to look for.

"Riku, you are passed the flooding the area stage of training," Cloud berated. "Contain your energy within and feel for the presence of others, don't search for it. With that, you should be able to find where I am. You can't go see Sora until you accomplish that."

"What?" Riku gasped, falling back against the wall and sliding down it until he was sitting. Resting his head in his knees, he wondered just how long it was going to take him to do this task.

It was only after his eyes were closed for several minutes that he noticed it, the small tendrils of energy escaping his shields. Fearing Cloud would get on his case for them, he tried to force them back, but they wouldn't go. And, through those tendrils, he could see the immediate area around him even with his eyes closed tight. Opening his eyes he lost the vision, but he figured he had found out the secret.

Closing his eyes once more, he searched for Cloud again, hiding as much of his energy as possible in his frame. Coming in contact with Cloud's energy, he quickly memorized the path his tendril had taken and shot up.

"Good job," Cloud said, placing a hand on Riku's shoulder. "Took less time that I thought it would. From now on your homework is to work on that every night before you go to sleep, or every morning, as it tends to be, until you can accomplish that in a fraction of a second." Riku looked quite shocked at that, but held his tongue. "Don't worry, you can do it," Cloud assured, turning him in the direction to his boyfriend's house. "After a while you will be able to do so without closing your eyes, and even automatically while you sleep. Now get going. Sora is probably missing you."

* * *

It had been a little over a week since Cloud gave him his homework, for which he was somewhat grateful for. He would not have any lessons until he could search for another vampire in a fraction of a second, meaning he had more time to spend with Sora. Now it found him sitting on the couch in Sora's living room, waiting for the idiot brunette to get the movie in so they could watch it. The boy seemed a little more energetic than usual (if that was even possible), which could be because no one else was home. Sora's parents had left earlier that evening, for a little alone time and Roxas had convinced Axel and Leon to let him go with them on their patrol.

"What movie are we watching?" Riku asked as the teen rushed into the kitchen for the popcorn.

"How to Train Your Dragon," he hollered back, appearing a minute later with a large bowl.

"Haven't you seen that movie a hundred times by now?" the vampire asked, chuckling as Sora plopped down next to him and accidentally sent popcorn flying.

"Twenty-seven, but I still really like it!" the brunette cheered, picking up the spilt pieces before someone sat on them.

Just after setting the subtitles to English and starting the movie, his demeanor changed from rambunctious to serious, making Riku both worried and nervous. "Sora, is something wrong?" he asked slowly, leaning forward a bit to try and see the other male's face easier.

"Can I ask you something, Riku?" he asked, a somber tone to his voice.

"Of course, go ahead," Riku replied softly.

"When… When was the last time you drank blood?" Sora asked. He had a small frown on his face, hating himself for having to ask a question he knew would hurt Riku.

Riku involuntarily flinched and sat back, turning his attention to the movie for a moment. Hiccup had just finished telling the audience about Berk, a dragon flaming his door. "Three days ago," he answered finally.

Sora released the breath he was holding in his chest, relieved. "That's good," he said, a small amount of cheer in his words. "That's very good." Leaning on Riku's shoulder, he started taking popcorn from the bowl again, no longer looking down or serious.

Letting it slide for a moment, Riku took several handfuls of buttery corn as well before he asked, "Why did you want to know?"

"I'll tell you after the movie, okay?" he asked, flashing Riku a disarming smile that he couldn't refuse. Snorting indignantly, the silverette turned back to the movie as well. He had seen it several times on multiple occasions at Sora's house, but he had to admit he enjoyed it too. Although, if Sora made him watch it too many more times he was going to refuse.

Watching the credits scroll onto the screen, Riku waited patiently for Sora to go take the movie out and place it back into its case. When no response to his question earlier was given, he prompted, "Why did you want when I had last drank?"

Riku could see Sora's cheeks darken even through the dim lighting. He glanced to the clock and back before walking over to the couch and sitting down next to his boyfriend. "Do you know what today is?" he asked.

"Tuesday," the silverette replied simply, not quite understanding what Sora was getting at with the question.

"No it's not," he replied, pointing to the clock on the VCR. The green numbers showed the time 12:17, which did make sense since it was almost eleven when they had started the movie.

"Oh, it's Wednesday now," Riku corrected, still not getting the significance. "Oh, Happy Birthday, Sora," he said after a moment, smiling. "I'll have to wish Roxas a happy birthday once he gets back."

Smiling and leaning into Riku despite the deep blush on his cheeks, Sora said, "Yeah, I'm seventeen now. And, well… I want a very specific present from you, Riku. Will you take me to bed?"

Gulping because of what Sora could mean by that, he asked, "What do you mean, Sora?"

"I want you to sleep with me," he replied, burying his burning face in his boyfriend's shoulder. "Cloud warned me, about how you could accidentally turn me if you had gone a while without blood, and I knew you would be very upset if you did so I decided to make sure you'd be able to say yes before I asked," he explained, gripping the sleeve tighter.

"Sora…" Riku cooed, running a single hand through the boy's spiky hair. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he scooped the smaller male up with vampiric grace and headed straight for the stairs before his nerves gave out on him.

Gently laying Sora down on his bed, Riku went about closing the window and shades and locking the door, and anything else to buy him enough time to settle down a bit. Sitting on the edge of the bed, the younger teen rummaged through his bedside table until he produced a small bottle of lubricant. Noticing how much Sora blushed at the little thing, Riku could just imagine how embarrassed he had to have been to buy it.

Walking back to his boyfriend and kissing him deeply for a moment, Riku pulled back and asked quite calmly, "Sora, are you absolutely sure about this?" Finding himself unable to speak, the brunette nodded in response.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

* * *

It was well after four in the morning when they finally got back and he was quite exhausted to say the least. Stumbling up the stairs with Axel supporting him, the redhead was about to tell him that was Sora's door when the blonde tried to open it and found it locked. That fact woke Roxas up from his stupor and he tried the door again. "I can't believe it…" he said incredulously, turning towards his boyfriend. "I can't believe Sora has actually had sex when I haven't yet!"

"We can fix that," Axel jested, receiving a glare from the boy in his arms.

"Not tonight we aren't!" he said, pushing away from the grinning hunter. "And if you even have any thoughts of trying anything tonight you are sleeping in the guest room with Leon!"

"I won't, I promise," Axel said, holding his hands up defensively. "I may want to get nasty with you, but I do have some restraint and I am not willing to force myself on you. Although, I can't believe a vampire beat me."

"Come on, let's go to bed," Roxas sighed. "I'm too tired to think about this tonight. We'll have to tease them about it tomorrow."

* * *

**OoOoOoOoOoO** has replaced the sex scene. The full chapter is here: http(:)/angelic-hellspawn(.)deviantart(.)com/art/Infected-Chapter-11-306859042


	12. Chapter 12: Embarrassment

THIS STORY IS NOT DEAD! hehe

Geez, it took a long time to get this out... I feel really bad about just how unmotivated I've been to write... I don't think this chapter is one of my best works, but after the long slump I've been in I'd have to say I'm pretty satisfied with this. Enjoy.

**I do no own Kingdom Hearts :'(  
**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Embarrassment**

Riku was already well awake when Sora's eyes flitted open. The just-seventeen-year-old smiled innocently at the welcome morning surprise, his sleep-riddled mind momentarily forgetting just why Riku was with him that particular morning. Then he shifted his weight slightly and sent a sharp pain up his spine, reminding him fully well of their actions the previous night. It seemed quite idiotic that he would forget it in the first place. Blushing at the arms wrapped tenderly around him, the brunette buried his face in his boyfriend's chest.

Marveling at just how far they had gone, Riku couldn't help but run his hands along Sora's body. The skin was soft under his fingers, and smooth like silk. It fitted well over the brunette's frame, barely showing the slightly visible waves of his muscles. He remembered just how well their bodies fit together, the pure ecstasy of thrusting into that slender body and asserting his full presence on the boy he loved, but he also remembered that it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for Sora. The brunette had looked quite pained at first, his aqua eyes contorted in agony as his entrance protested at being stretched farther than it had been prepared for. He had been too impatient. If he had only had the self-control to wait a bit longer he might have been able to spare Sora of some of the pain at least. "How are you feeling?" he asked, brushing his fingers through brown hair that looked a lot rougher than it actually was. "Does your body hurt?"

Blushing in sheepish embarrassment, Sora gave his lover the best smile he could. "A little," he admitted quietly, trying to remain as still as possible. As he was pulled farther from his numbing sleep, he could start to feel the soreness caused by Riku's intrusion. Shifting sent sharp pains up his spine, but remaining motionless didn't make him entirely comfortable, either. A dull pain that pulsed as his blood flowed through his body radiated from his backside, one leg was starting to go numb because of how he was laying on it, and his thighs and ass felt sticky from the dried (and drying) semen seeping slowly from his entrance. Still, despite the embarrassment and discomfort—something Sora saw as quite minor—Sora was more than happy, way more than happy.

"You'll feel better if you have a warm bath," Riku cooed, kissing the top of the brunette's head. Pale fingers massaged a tanned shoulder, the young vampire's other hand mingling with Sora's disheveled hair. The boy may have denied using any products to style it (and if he did they had to be odorless because Riku had never smelt them), but it didn't have its signature spikiness to it at that moment.

"A bath does sound really good," Sora agreed, looking forward to resting the relaxing waters. Gripping at Riku's back, he tentatively added, "There's just, uh, one problem…"

"Hm?" the silverette asked, brushing a brown lock from the younger boy's face as he finally managed to coax those blue eyes out of hiding.

Clearing his throat and looking anywhere but his lover's face, it took Sora a moment to find his voice enough to whisper, "I can't move…"

Riku was caught between wanting to laugh and feeling guilty, his expressions showing his turmoil. His thoughts kept going back to _I'm too strong for my own good_. A warm hand touched his cheek gently, pulling him out of his depressing thoughts and back into Sora's oceanic eyes. The young human pulled his demonic lover down to meet his lips.

Smiling as the kiss ended, Sora tapped Riku's cheeks with his open palms before asking, "Don't worry about it too much, okay? Now, are you going to help me to that bath?"

How could he fight that smile? That smile is what kept him going when he first turned. So innocent and forgiving, even when he does do something to hurt the younger boy. Sora forgave him for when he bit him the first time, and now the brunette didn't care that his impatience had hurt him again. A slight smile touching his lips, Riku moved off the bed. "I'll come back and get you once I get the water warm," he said, pulling his pants up and unlocking the door. The silver haired vampire was gone for a total of three minutes before reappearing, striding over to his lover with more confident steps. Turning the boy as gently as possible onto his back, the silverette scooped him up bridal style and held him close to his chest. Tanned arms wrapped lovingly around the older male's neck, his contentedness enough to chase away the last of the dull ache radiating from his behind from his mind. Going out into the hallway, though, would change that mindset.

There was only three feet between Sora's door and the bathroom, but three feet was all that was needed when a particular blonde was waiting in ambush for his brother. Roxas had heard the vampire turn on the water and quickly got up, smirking as he watched Riku slip back into his brother's room. Leaning against the wall with his head tilted back and his eyes closed, he listened for the two to emerge. "Did you have fun last night?" he asked before Riku was even able to get fully into the hall. It took all his self-control to now let out a startled scream when he looked at the two teenagers; he definitely didn't need to see his brother's sexed up body. Still, the lack of any coverings just made the brunette blush harder, using his hands to cover his exposed genitalia and the dried seed on his body. "Riku sure got you dirty," Roxas teased.

"Just because you're jealous that you're still a virgin doesn't mean you need to embarrass your brother," Riku jested, letting the boy in his arms hide his face in his bare chest. He was quite pleased by the slight tinge of pink that dusted Roxas' face at his words, so he continued, "What, is Axel not giving you any?"

"More like the other way around," Axel sighed, leaning out of the blonde's room. "I'm afraid he's staying cold turkey on me, even though I offered to fix his little problem last night."

"That's enough out of you!" Roxas said quickly, slapping a hand over the redhead's mouth. "Aren't you bringing my big brother to his bath?" he snapped, shoving his uncooperative boyfriend back through the doorway.

Chuckling under his breath, Riku continued the last few feet into the bathroom, and then to the tub. The warm water felt good on the brunette's aching muscles. He was starting to feel better almost instantly, and took a long moment to just let the water wash over him. Then he took a washcloth and tentatively started going over his soiled body. Riku had cleaned him up the night before, but new semen had since leaked from his body, and he could still feel a bit of the sticky residue on his abdomen. Lathering the rag with soap, he went over his stomach first, cleaning on the clingy feeling left behind by the quick brush down with a half-wet towel. He then experimentally tried to sit up, finding that still sent waves of pain through his body. Feeling somewhat giddy, blood rushed to his face again as his mind went back to the previous night's activities. Grabbing Riku's hand, he diverted his gaze to instead watch a very entertaining swirl of bubbles.

Squeezing Sora's hand slightly, the young vampire leaned forward and placed his mouth mere millimeters from the brunette's ear, whispering, "Sora, I love you." He laid his other hand over Sora's other hand, slowly taking the rag from him. A gentle hand ran the rag along Sora's leg, going down the top of his thigh and then back up on the inside. Despite the intimacy of the action Riku was careful to try and not make it sexual, focusing instead on cleaning his seed off his lover's body.

Sora snatched the washrag back from the older male, face about as red as a Jollyrancher. His body was heating up and he realized he was surely going to become aroused if Riku continued. "I-I can clean myself up," he stuttered.

"Okay," Riku cooed, touching Sora's cheek and kissing his forehead. Standing up, he smiled back over his shoulder and said, "I'll go get some clothes for you to change into once you're done."

The ache had all but left his body into the warmth surrounding him. Some of the dried semen had flaked off his body, the rest being wiped away by the cloth in the brunette's hand. But cleaning his body would be kind of ineffective if he didn't clean Riku's seed from inside his body. What was left inside him would only slowly leak out and dry and stick to his skin again, so with a bit more than a touch of embarrassment, Sora gently touched his entrance. He carefully forced a finger passed the ring of sore muscle, protesting being stretched again. With a fire building in his face, Sora ignored his body's complaints and inserted a second finger. He slowly started to remove Riku's essence, careful to not agitate his already angry entrance. And then he almost fell face first into the water. A third sensation had joined the pain and embarrassment, pleasure. It actually felt _good_ to have his hand inside his body, so he quickly yanked his fingers out and rinsed them with water and soap. Pulling the plug, he didn't watch the murky water drain, instead hurrying to get out of the tub. An awkward turn sent a tendril of stinging pain up his spin, and he tumbled over the side of the tub onto the bathroom rug. The noise caught Riku's attention.

"Sora! Are you okay?" he asked, dropping the underwear and pants he had gathered (damn Sora for always keeping such a messy room!) for the boy in the hall.

"Y-yeah," Sora muttered, letting his lover drape the towel over his head and rub the water from his brunette hair.

Shaking his head and smiling, Riku continued to rough up the younger boy's hair. "Be careful the next time you try to jump out of the tub, okay?" he asked, letting the towel slip down to Sora's shoulders. He was kind of surprised to find the brunette locks sticking up in several directions, spiked just like Sora's hair always was, and without any type of gel or spray to keep them in place. He didn't even try to figure out why it would do that; it would only hurt his head to attempt it.

"I will," Sora replied, smiling and stretching up to peck Riku's lips. Pulling the edges of the towel around to his chest, he looked from his boyfriend, to the messed up clothes, to his boyfriend again, and asked, "Clothes?"

Chuckling, Riku stood. "Of course," he said, scooping up the dropped articles and tossing them to the brunette. "Catch!" The vampire then disappeared back into Sora's room and searched for a clean shirt for the boy.

Sora quickly pulled on the clothes Riku had given him, more than ready to cover his exposed skin. He had gotten his wish alright. The plethora of emotions in him made him giddy, and scared, and excited, and amused, and embarrassed, and numb, and overjoyed, and so completely satisfied that his mind was blank all at the same time. He kind of wanted to hide behind the bathroom door and not face the older male he'd had sex with, but he also wanted to run through his bedroom door and tackle the vampire. Of course, his body was not really in much of a condition to do the latter, so he shyly walked into his room and watched amusedly as Riku tried to dig through the piles of dirty clothes for something clean.

"Clean clothes are in the laundry basket," Sora stated, sticking his tongue out at his lover.

Turning and growling playfully at the seventeen-year-old, he glided over to the boy and captured that tongue, wrapping Sora up in his arms and sucking on that pink muscle.

"If you want to get a shower before breakfast I suggest you hurry up," Roxas said as he walked passed, shattering the moment the two lovers were currently engaged in. "Mom's going to start making blueberry pancakes soon."

Giving Sora a quick kiss on the forehead, the vampire rushed into the bathroom. Sora couldn't really blame him; he loved pancakes.

* * *

"Didn't you berate me before for assuming you were going to sleep with Sora?" was the first thing Cloud said when Riku came in.

"Sh-shut up!" the silverette snapped, feeling the blood rush to his face. He tried to act like nothing was wrong, striding passed the blue-eyed vampire confidently.

"Was he good?" Cloud asked.

Riku nearly tripped. Turning back, flustered, he quickly started, "Th-that's none of your business! I don't go asking about your sex life with Leon!"

Sighing, Cloud leaned back against the wall. "Unfortunately, it's not existent right now," he said. "I let him screw me twice and now have to wait for him to finally admit that he loves me. It's such a pain to wait."

"I don't need to hear that!" Riku replied sharply, turning and heading towards his room. "If you're going to complain to me about your lack of a relationship then you have time to do something about it!"

Shaking his head at the fledgling, he headed into the kitchen for some orange juice. Then he stopped and looked back at where the silverette had vanished. _"If you're going to complain to me about your lack of a relationship then you have time to do something about it!"_ Chuckling, Cloud shook his head again and continued to the kitchen. "You're right Riku," he mumbled. "I think it's time I do something about this again. Why should I wait when I know the truth?"

* * *

The next chapter was supposed to be this chapter. This scene was supposed to be a lot shorter, but it kept growing in length. So, look forward to the next chapter, **Admissions**.


	13. Chapter 13: Admissions

This chapter is finally back up.

In the first section creatures called Walkers are mentioned. They are reanimated corpses that can only carry out simple commands. It takes a lot of power to make and control them, though.

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts :'(  
**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Admissions**

He had been expecting it to take some time, but even he was surprised with how long it was taking to find one insignificant worm. In a city full of insignificant worms and lowly mongrel vampires, he realized it shouldn't be such a shock. How did the saying go, hide in plain sight? His enhanced senses couldn't aid him sense ninety-nine percent of the population in that city registered at the exact same level, with most everyone measuring up to just a barely distinguishable blip. There was a small group of vampires clustered together that he could discern using his abilities, as well a couple other vampires, one of which was Cloud, and the occasional psychic human whose energy level was higher than average. Still, his target was neither a vampire nor a psychic so he had to find maggot the hard way; manually searching the entire premises.

Growling at the filth wallowing in the mud-caked alley, an idea suddenly popped into his head. A sadistic smirk on his cruel face, he extended a hand towards the homeless refuse at his feet. Hollow eyes looked up weakly at him, gaining a new life made of fear at the evil reflected in those glowing blue eyes. But he didn't have the time or strength to flee. His body was crushed just like the little girl several weeks before. His smirk widening and showing his blood stained fangs, the master vampire's long, silver hair flowed in the breeze created by the small twister lifting the deformed body off the ground. Bones reset and flesh mended, his eyes gaining a devilish red glow deep in the back of his pupils. The Walker swayed back and forth as it shifted its weight, waiting for instructions. Glaring into the lifeless depths of his servants eyes, the vampire imprinted its instructions into the false soul inhabiting it. "Now go," he commanded, the reanimated corpse shambling off. "Find that spineless coward so I can tear him to pieces in front of my idiotic, infatuated brother. I'll break his hold over you Cloud, and bring you home." With maniacal thoughts and a plan in his head, Sephiroth set out to make more Walkers.

* * *

He was sitting on the third stool from the end of the bar, cradling an empty shot glass in his hands. Staring through the bottom at the wooden bar, he didn't hear the bartender approach. In his defense, though, the bartender did move with complete silence. "Can I get you another one Leon?" he asked, absently drying the glass he was holding with a towel.

Jolted out of his thoughts, the brunette hunter snapped his attention to the man who had snuck up on him. "Make some noise when you move!" Leon gasped, one hand clutching lightly at his chest. "You nearly gave me a heart attack Riku."

Chuckling and sitting the glass down behind the bar, Riku countered with, "If you weren't so lost in your thoughts you would have seen me coming." Laughing at the light glare directed at him, the young fledgling asked, "Is there anything I can get you? Another shot?"

"Not on an empty stomach," the hunter replied, glancing at the menu lying on the countertop next to him. Scanning over the items for a moment, his eyes stopped on one that sounded like it would be good. He was cut off before he said it, though, by the darker-silver-haired bartender.

"I wouldn't eat the soup," he said, almost as if he had read Leon's mind. "You don't want to know what goes on on that counter. My suggestion would be the something off of the grill." At Leon's raised eyebrow, Zexion explained, "Too hot for them to do anything nasty there." Wishing he hadn't asked for more information, Leon tried to not make some sort of disgusted face; he didn't succeed. The quiet vampire then strode back down the bar, tapping the third bartender on the shoulder and telling him something that couldn't be heard at that end of the bar, and continued down to another customer who was holding an empty glass.

Looking back at Riku, who was drying another glass, he said, "I guess I'll have the ribs and another shot of whiskey." The silverette nodded and went to place his order, leaving Leon with nothing but his thoughts for a few moments. He took that time to look around the establishment, a building he was really starting to get familiar with. Soft music and soothing lyrics flowed throughout the area, the blonde-haired entertainer swinging her hips seductively for the infatuated patrons gathered around the stage. In his eyes, Larxene was more like a succubus than a vampire. Around half of tables were filled, some groups chatting among themselves or leaning back in their chairs and gabbing with other tables, while other people were completely enthralled with the dancing, singing girl. A scarred bouncer was standing on one side of the entrance, idly chatting with the bouncer on the other side, a man with a head-full of dreadlocks. A third bouncer was leaning against the wall by the stage, making sure Larxene's antics didn't cause any commotion. Kind of surprised with himself, Leon remembered that the red-haired one by the stage was Lexaeus and the two by the door were Xigbar and Xaldin. He couldn't find the third bouncer, though, a blue-haired vampire with an X-shaped scar on his forehead named Saix.

The sound of a glass being sat down in front of him and liquid being poured onto the ice in it gained Leon's attention. It was Luxord that served him this time, the white-blonde casually putting the bottle back and pulling out a deck of cards. "Want to play something?" he asked, shuffling the cards from one hand to his other.

Leon downed the shot in one gulp and slammed the glass back to the counter. "No thank you," he said, having learned long before that there was almost no chance of winning against the master of slight of hand. Although, he did enjoy watching fools try to beat the vampire at various games, from black jack to a simple game of speed (the latter of which is just murder). "Out of curiosity," the brunette started, giving one last glance around the area, "what happened to Saix?"

Luxord's reply was a thumb being jabbed in the direction of the owner's office, a small sign hanging on the doorknob. "Do no disturb," he said, chuckling as he left to find some sucker he could cheat out of some cash.

"Thank the gods that room is soundproof," Riku added to his colleague's comment, sitting the plate he was carrying down in front of his friend.

Leon couldn't keep himself from chuckling. He could just imagine how much of a pain Riku's enhanced hearing could be. The improved smell was probably inconvenient at times, too.

"Where do you want these?" a familiar voice asked from his side. Riku seemed to pall at the sight, and turning in his seat to look at the younger brunette he realized why.

Rushing around the counter, Riku snatched up two of the four boxes his boyfriend was carrying, growling slightly at the boy as he said, "I told you to take two trips, you stubborn, little…" The rest was lost to him as the two vanished into the kitchen. They appeared a few minutes later, the younger teen rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Don't come complaining to me tomorrow when your back feels like shit because you pushed yourself too far." Seeing that Leon was finished with him meal, Riku asked, "Are you heading back?"

"After another shot or two, yeah," he replied, smiling slightly as Riku sat another drink down in front of him. "Why, what do you want?"

"Think you can make sure that idiot gets home?" Riku asked, reaching across the bar and ruffling Sora's spiky hair. "Last time I let him come and help out someone stopped him just a few blocks away to ask if he was selling. Demyx was taking out the trash and heard the commotion so the whole situation was avoided, but I don't want to risk it again."

"Not a problem," Leon said, getting off the barstool. "Come on trouble maker, time to go home," he added, playfully hitting the seventeen-year-old on the back of the head.

The hair on the back of his neck stood on end the instant they exited Castle Oblivion. He could _feel_ the eyes following him and nervously looked around to find the source of his discomfort. Sora must have noticed his apprehension because he asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Someone's watching us," Leon replied, wondering if it might be another pervert hoping to catch the teen alone. Continuing down the alleyways towards Sora's house, he soon got his answer. Standing at the opposite end and blocking them, was a very familiar blonde. And the last person he wanted to see. "Shit," he muttered under his breath.

"Hello Sora," Cloud said as he walked towards the two, hands in his pockets and completely unimposing. His act wasn't fooling the young man, though, especially with how Leon was shifting his weight from one foot to the other and looking anywhere but the advancing male. "I have something I need to discuss with Leon, would you mind leaving us alone for a bit?"

"Leon's supposed to take me home," Sora replied immediately. The frown appearing on Cloud's face told him what the older vampire's intentions had been, and Sora could easily see the huge flaws in his plan. He tried to impart the need for patience through his body language, but he didn't think Cloud was listening. "I'm sorry, but we have to get home. I have school tomorrow." Grabbing Leon's hand Sora pushed his way passed his boyfriend's mentor. _Wait just a little bit longer_, he thought. _Leon will break any day now_.

Sighing as soon as they got well out of Cloud's range of hearing, Leon said sincerely, "Thanks Sora."

"Don't mention it," the addressed boy replied. "You'll confront him once you're ready."

* * *

That was not the last time he narrowly escaped the other man. It was getting harder and harder to get away, and not only because Cloud was getting more persistent. A part of him wanted more than anything to just give in. He had been fighting for years and the strain was just becoming too much now that his defense against it had been shattered; his barrier of rage. Slipping through the back door to some small business, Leon was quickly lost in the crowd.

Once out on the packed street, Leon quickly continued on towards his destination, making sure to stay out of deserted back streets where he could easily be ambushed. He was a vampire hunter, granted that he had been quite lax as of late, he could not date one of the things he hunted. Even if he was in love with Cloud, that man was still a bloodsucking monster. It would put Cloud in danger, not to mention himself. If Tifa and the rest of Radiant Garden learned of his physical involvement with a vampire… he shuddered at the thought.

He watched his target stop in the middle of the street, shuddering at whatever was going through his mind. Hazel-blue met blue as Leon turned and faced him, not moving even when people bumped into him. Some of them cursed at him for blocking the path, but Leon was too preoccupied to notice or care. The owner of the pair of blue eyes was slowly approaching him, and against his better judgment he wasn't running.

Stopping with just enough room between them for a person to easily pass through, neither made a move for several moments. Then, seeing the trepidation in his adversary's eyes, Cloud turned and headed back into the alley. Leon was left with a choice, follow Cloud or continue on his way. Vowing that he would face the Cloud problem later, he hurried on to his previous destination.

* * *

There were various clues at the scene indicating at a vampire's involvement and the trail leading away proved it. Finally, something he could take his frustration out on! The vampire didn't stand a chance.

After cleaning up the situation, and grateful he would have at least true report he could give to Tifa that week, Leon took the time to just enjoy the city. Now that his mind was clearer, now that he had calmed down, Leon found the time to go over his thoughts. The scenery was surprisingly soothing, even with his expertly trained eyes spotting several couples that weren't all human. The crisp air blowing through the central park trees reminded him of home, and surprisingly of the good times he had then, not the bad. There was still the slight sting with memories of his old home, but it way almost completely suppressed by the times he spent with Selphie and Irvine and Zell and even Seifer. And Cloud. All those days spent with Cloud in that old field.

Wandering along the concrete paths until he came to an open pavilion with a large fountain, Leon couldn't quite tell if he regretted coming to that place or not. Seeing all the happy couples around him and remembering the good old days practically made him go over the things that had been troubling his mind for weeks. But he needed to sort through them, even if he felt like he didn't want to or wasn't ready. Taking a seat on an empty bench, he laid back until he was staring up at the sky.

"Is this seat taken?" a familiar voice asked. He didn't need to turn and face the man to know who it was, but Leon did so anyway until the blue-eyed blonde-haired vampire came into view, adding more cloud to the light blue sky.

"As a matter of fact, yes," he replied, going back to sky gazing. He wanted more time to think before facing Cloud, and whether the older man noticed this or simply didn't feel like dealing with his sour attitude he didn't know, but the vampire scoffed and promptly left. A wave a guilt washing over him, even if it didn't show on his face, Leon momentarily tossed around the thought of calling the blonde back. But there was just one thing he couldn't seem to get passed; Cloud was a vampire.

* * *

Sleep had really to take its toll on him, or more accurately lack-of-sleep. Even after a couple days of thinking over his problem he couldn't find a reasonable excuse to get passed that last hurdle that seemed to be blocking him. And his hazy mind was really starting to play tricks on him. It was making Cloud appear all over the city, in alleyways, at the edges of crowds, reflected in windows but not there when he turned around. Then again, maybe Cloud really was stalking him; it was certainly within the vampire's abilities.

Groggily opening the door, Leon passed by the occupied living room on his way to the room temporarily given to him. Depositing his weapons on the floor haphazardly (he wasn't as cautious as he normally would be since ninety-nine times out of one hundred Axel slept in Roxas' room), he debated whether he should go to the kitchen first or just crash on his bed. His stomach choosing kitchen, Leon put off sleep for a little longer.

The four teenagers sitting quite contentedly with each other while watching a movie almost put a smile on Leon's emotionless face. His apprentice sure had wormed his way into the brunette's more cautious twin's heart, and the aforementioned brunette seemed quite satisfied with laying on his boyfriend. His boyfriend… He hurried off to find a snack, his rush not missed by the silverette.

He was rummaging through the cupboards when Riku spoke up. "What's bothering you?" he asked, making Leon jump. He was about to ask the teenager what made him think something was wrong, but he knew the boy would have some sort of rebuttal for it. And a raised eyebrow let him know he wasn't getting out of it.

A moment passed before he sighed and finally asked, "How do you two do it? How can Sora, and you even, handle the fact that you aren't human?"

Smirking and shaking his head, Riku replied with, "If you really have to ask that question then you don't understand what love is." Taking on a more serious expression, he added, "But I think you already know it. You're just too afraid to listen. My parents won't be home for two days, and I'm planning on staying here, so the house is empty, mostly." And with that thought implanted in Leon's head he left to rejoin the movie and the three humans watching it.

Sighing again, Leon stopped his scavenging and stared at the empty doorway. Seconds ticked by into minutes, excuses crumbling under the weight of Riku's observation. It wouldn't have hurt so much if the younger male wasn't right. Pinching the bridge of his nose to try and relieve the oncoming headache, Leon gulped down the lump in his throat and snatched up a fudge-coated granola bar. His mind was still screaming at him, but his heart was unusually at ease, despite its almost painful pounding. Eating the snack in two bites, Leon couldn't deny that Riku was right. He already knew, and it was about time he took heed of his own heart's words. He'd think of the consequences later, when he had someone to help him solve the problems that would, eventually, arise.

The front door closing with just enough noise to get the small brunette's attention, Sora looked up at his lover and asked, "Did he finally break?"

Smiling, Riku replied with, "I think so."

* * *

Leon found it to be a lot harder to simply knock on a door that it should be. His knuckles would hover over the wooden barrier, pulled back to send that distinct rapping through the building on the other side, but his nerves were not cooperating. While his hand was frozen an inch from the door his heart was running a marathon; it seemed like all the signals were going to that single organ. Shivering slightly in rage, he yelled in his head, _Are you going to let an emotion control you?_

Huffing out his frustration, Leon mustered up a surge of courage which he used to force his hand to meet the door three times. "Finally," Cloud said from behind, making him jump and turn on him. "I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to knock." Walking over and placing a hand on Leon's shoulder, Cloud opened the door and motioned for Leon to enter.

His shock had worn off, the hunter nodding mutely and entering the house. Taking his shoes and coat off at the entrance, he barely waited for the vampire to enter and close the door behind himself before he shoved the other male up against it and forced their mouth's together. Gods how he _missed_ that taste. It was very familiar to him, dating back much farther than just the two times they had had sex. He felt stupid for denying himself this pleasure for so long, for using anger and excuses as ammo in the war against his own emotions. Slipping his tongue into the vampire's mouth and his hands under the older man's black shirt, he smirked at the moan it awarded him.

"Needy, are we?" Cloud jested, resting his hands on the hunter's lips. "Or are you going to take another attempt on my life?"

Leon blushed and pulled away. "You were awake?" he asked, a hint of sheepishness in his voice.

"I knew you wouldn't do it," Cloud replied, pulling the brunette's body closer to his own. "But just in case I was wrong I was ready to defend myself. Now then, are we going to talk about that—" he started, grinding his hips into Leons "—or do we have other business to attend to?"

Looking down and away, a touch of shame in his features, Leon stated, "I think I have something else I need to do first." Cloud raised an eyebrow at that, loosening his hold on the hunter. Swallowing the frog invading his throat, Leon leaned forward and placed his mouth right near the vampire's ear, not that such close proximity was needed, and whispered, "Cloud, I love you. No 'I think's' this time."

"You finally said it," Cloud murmured, smiling. Smirking and licking the shell of Leon's ear, he added, "I still think there is other business that needs your attention." To accentuate his point he arched his crotch into Leon's both hissing as their growing arousals met. Growling huskily in Cloud's ear, Leon was soon pulling the stronger man down the hallway and through a door, pushing him down onto a soft bed which had already been initiated by them twice. Having learned his lesson last time, that sweat and leather don't mix well, Leon removed his clothes before things got any farther. Turning to demand Cloud do the same, he was quite happy to find the other male already stripped down to his birthday suit. With a smirk on his face, he forced the vampire back down to the bed.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Pulling the sheets over their sweaty bodies, Cloud affectionately nuzzled the crock of Leon's neck. "Are you going to stay the night?" he asked, smirking because he already knew the answer.

"I'm too tired to go back to Sora's," came the cool reply. His eyelids were feeling excruciatingly heavy and he groaned a little when Cloud forced his arm under his head. He was too tired at the time to think about it, but as the dominant partner Cloud should be laying on him, not the other way around. Still that was a thought for another, more alert time. Now, he just wanted to fall asleep with Cloud by his side.

* * *

**OoOoOoOoOoO** has replaced the sex scene. The full chapter can be read here: http(:)/angelic-hellspawn(.)deviantart(.)com/art/Infected-Chapter-13-306860021

I wrote out a timeline for this story so I wouldn't forget any important details, and according to it there are **9 chapters** left for this story. Some of them might be as long or longer than this chapter, while others seem like they may barely make the 2000 word mark.


	14. Chapter 14:Turmoil

I finally have this chapter back up.

I have received a few requests for an AkuRoku lemon in this. The truth is, it doesn't fit into the timeline I have written out for it. So, I will most likely make a one-shot or short story connected to this one that is AkuRoku for those who asked for it. Chances are I won't even start it until after I finish this one, so then I can determine where in the timeline it would have been inserted.

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts :'(  
**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Turmoil**

Leon woke up to the sound of running water hitting the shower floor. The bed beside him was disappointingly void of anything, with even the sheets folded back and over his body. He didn't doubt that the shower's occupant was the missing blonde his wayward hand was absently searching for, and that only made him grumble in protest. In a wide, exaggerated motion, he brought that hand up to rub the sleep from his eyes, yawning and sitting up a moment later. Heavily lidded eyes did a quick sweep of the room to make sure his companion—_my lover_, his mind reminded him—really wasn't in the room, the brunette hunter grudgingly swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat there for a moment while he gathered the energy to stand.

Chuckling as he found his clothes already gathered and folded neatly on a chair near the bed, Leon debated for a moment about whether he should put them on or not. Every inch of his skin was sticky from the previous night's activities, Cloud's semen dried on his chest and his own flaking from his inner thighs. Dried sweat worked to cover the rest of his exposed body, and the thought of pulling his leather pants over that mess did not sound appealing. Walking around someone else's home nude, though, also wasn't high on his "list of things I want to do before I die." The dilemma was solved for him, though, when his undead lover came sauntering back in the room wearing nothing but a towel, which he was using to dry his damp hair.

The hunter took a moment to observe the body displayed so openly in front of him, finding his heart leap at the form he was already quite familiar with. He licked his lips hungrily but growled with the blonde stopped his teasing show, letting the towel drop to the floor as he started to pull his jeans up his well toned legs and over his taut ass. The vampire shot a seductive glance over his shoulder at the male on his bed, but Leon was not about to let the other man pull him around by his nose. In one swift motion, he leaned forward, grabbed the discarded towel, and straightened up into a standing position. Casually slinging the towel over his shoulder, he sauntered out in the same way Cloud had sauntered in, strolling into the bathroom and closing the door behind him as if he wasn't leaving a disappointed lover behind.

Stepping into the shower, he turned the nozzle and tilted his head up as the cold spray streamed onto his face, through his mussed up brunette locks and down his muscular back to drip in rivulets off his ass cheeks. A few shivers crawled their way up his spine until his body adjusted to the temperature, then it seriously helped pull the heat of arousal from his groin; he couldn't let Cloud know just what power he had over him. The cooling streams mingled with the soap and cloth he used to clean the thin film from his skin, also washing away the last of the sleep left in his bones. Once his body felt clean again, he closed his eyes and just let the water wash over him for a few moments before reluctantly turning the flow off. Stepping out of steaming shower stall, he snatched up Cloud's towel.

Walking into the bedroom, body dry and towel draped loosely on his hips, Leon tactfully contained his disappointment that the vampire was no longer in the room. Still, it meant he didn't have to fend off any sexual harassment as he dressed. He had finished dressing and Cloud still hadn't made an appearance, so out of frustration he stormed out of the room and into the kitchen, yanking open the refrigerator and retrieving an apple from the bottom drawer. Closing it with an annoyed thud, he yanked open a drawer and grabbed a serrated knife, heading back into the living room to skin the fruit. He was halfway through his task when the blonde reappeared. Taking the items from his partner and tossing them carelessly onto the coffee table, Cloud leaned in to steal Leon's lips, slipping his tongue into the compliant male's mouth. Strong hands found their way to slim hips, holding them down into the soft cushions of the couch for a moment before one broke away and started to work at the mess of belts keeping them covered by unyielding leather. Not particularly wanting to get sticky again after just getting a bath, Leon bit Cloud's tongue hard. "What was that for?" the vampire asked, eyes holding some emotion halfway between angry and hurt.

"I just had a bath, I don't want to get all sweaty again," Leon replied. "Besides, don't you still need to recover from last night?"

"You are assuming I'm playing the submissive role again," Cloud growled playfully, leaning down to latch onto the brunette's neck.

He was pushed back again by calloused hands, his annoyed blue eyes meeting his lover's furious ones. "There is no way I'm letting you stick that in me," he said firmly, expression saying he wasn't going to budge a single inch on that issue.

That didn't sit well with Cloud. "Do you really think I'm just going to lay back, spread my legs, and let you screw me for the rest of our relationship?" he growled more forcefully, grabbing Leon's wrist almost painfully. "It's called compromise, Leon. I let you screw me first because I knew you would rationalize it as me forcing you if I did you first. I could have easily overpowered you that first time, or the second, or even this last time, but I didn't. I gave you your pride as a hunter—" his eyes started to glow as his voice rose in volume and he flipped his lover over so he was on his knees with his chest pressed firmly into the back of the couch "—now give me mine as a vampire, it's only fair." One hand holding Leon's wrist behind his back, the other reached around to the male's front and again started working on the belts. "It's your turn to play the girl," he whispered, almost menacingly, into Leon's ear.

He was not going to stand for this! His free hand grappled with the one now unzipping his pants, but soon realized his strength was feeble at best against the master vampire. So instead he started grasping for something, anything, he could use as a weapon against the stronger male. He twisted his body, his pinned shoulder aching painfully from the angle it was being held at, until his hand was able to reach over the short distance between the couch and the coffee table. Cloud's sadistic blue eyes were so focused on the pain contorting his lover's face that he didn't see those slim fingers struggling to grab a hold of something seemingly forgotten. Then he felt the sharp stabbing pain in his side and he looked back to see Leon's bloody hand holding the hilt of a knife, the blade buried deep between his sixth and seventh ribs. The steel didn't do any real damage to his greatly enhanced body, but it did shock him enough to allow Leon to struggle free.

White knuckling the handle as he scrambled several feet away, Leon took a few huffing breaths before he spat out, "When I say no I mean no! Listen or next time I'm aiming for your fucking heart!" Throwing the knife to the ground Leon stormed out before Cloud had a chance to reply. Not that he was going to. He had just gotten to the point where he could be with the man he loved and now the idiot had to go and pull a stunt like that. Somewhere in the back of his mind Cloud realized it was just as much his fault as the hunter's but he was too stubborn to openly admit it. Holding his side even though the wound had already healed, the vampire went to go pick up the knife and clean up the mess before Riku got home and saw it.

Leon slammed the front door open many minutes later as he stormed into Sora's house. The four teens sleeping on the couches jumped in confusion, the two older ones sitting up to watch him stomp his way into his borrowed room. Riku's teal eyes showed great confusion—last he knew things were going well between his and Axel's mentors—but the redhead just hunkered down a bit in fear. It took a lot to get Leon angry, but once he was you wanted to stay out of his way.

* * *

Sora was the first one willing to be brave, well, brave-ish. The loud crashes and screams were really starting to worry the seventeen-year-old so he started slowly crawling towards the mostly closed door. Through the small crack it was open he could see the enraged man pacing back and forth erratically, cursing in some language he had never heard and occasionally punching something, mostly the wall. Swallowing the large lump in his throat, Sora's tiny voice asked, "Could you please not damage the walls?"

The taller brunette quickly turned on the voice, making it "eep" in fear. He couldn't find the source of the noise for a moment, though, then he walked over and opened the door, staring down at the smaller teenager. Inhaling and exhaling one, big breath, he practically yelled, "Don't scare me like that!"

"I'm sorry," Sora cowered, throwing his arms over his head and making Leon sigh.

At Riku's hiss from down the hallway he added in a nicer tone, "I'm not mad at you." Leaning against the wall, agitated foot tapping the carpeted ground, Leon stared down at the frightened teen and forced himself to take calming breaths. "Look, just leave me alone for a bit," he said after a short moment. At Sora's quick nod he turned back to his room. Stopping in the doorway, he glared back over his shoulder at the vampire watching his every move and growled, "If you say a _word_ to Cloud I will seriously hurt you." Slamming the portal to make sure it closed this time, the two lovers could still hear his irate pacing but at least he was no longer punching the walls.

"I guess you were right," the silverette stated as he helped the brunette to his feet. "Cloud seriously pissed him off about something. And I have a feeling I know about what." Not stopping when Sora had regained his footing, the fledgling swept his boyfriend off his feet and started carrying him back down the hallway.

"What is wrong with them?" Sora asked, big, innocent, blue eyes gazing up lovingly.

Tossing the boy down onto the now-empty couch, Riku crawled over top of his boyfriend and captured his bruised lips. "This," he stated. "Neither particular wants to stay in your position."

That just seemed to confuse the teen even farther. "Why not?" he asked, reaching up and draping his arms around his bartender's neck. "It feels good."

"Some people are just too prideful," Riku explained, leaning in for another kiss.

Stopping his boyfriend with a finger to his mouth, Sora asked, "Then do you want to switch next time?" Riku couldn't stop the blush from lighting up his cheeks and he stuttered over his tongue as he tried to find the words—some words, any words—to answer his boyfriend's offer. Chuckling at Riku's perplexed reaction, the younger teen said, "I was just kidding." Propping himself up on an elbow until his lips were just a fraction of a centimeter from the vampire's, he added, "I'm more than happy laying beneath you," then stole a long, sensual kiss.

* * *

Axel's attempt to confront his volatile boss didn't go very well either. Almost the instant he opened the door the older brunette yelled at him to "close the fucking door." At that moment any plan he had was thrown out the window. Luckily, he had a backup plan.

"Um… I, uh, kind of need some of my clothes…" he said nervously, surprisingly not stuttering in his haste. Leon looked at him confused for a moment, which emboldened him enough to step farther into the room. "I haven't changed in about three days and even a shower isn't going to keep the stink off me. And if I don't get rid of it Roxas is going to kick me to the couch tonight, so I could really use my bag."

"Yes, yes, of course," his mentor absently stated, wandering around the room like a chicken with its head cut off. The momentary lapse in hostility gave the redhead time to look around the room. One bed was bare to the mattress—thank the gods he was sleeping with Roxas—and the other in complete disarray. The desk had the drawers removed and overturned in all parts of the small space their contents scattered around in disorganized patches. Leon stepped over several pens and broken pencils as he rummaged through a pile of blankets, dirty clothes, and was that his chakram? He'd have to take those, not for fear that Leon would hurt himself, there were plenty of other weapons he could do that with, but because he didn't want the irrational brunette damaging them somehow.

As Leon moved to a different pile of assorted item Axel inched his way all the way into the room. Sneaking around behind his boss, still a little shaky because he was expecting some sort of explosion at any moment, he quickly gathered up his weapons and bolted back to the door, slipping through it and hiding the chakram behind his back as if he had never moved in the first place.

"Here it is…" he said after a moment, pulling on a strap—the only thing visible—until the rest of Axel's backpack emerged from the heap of sheets, clothes, and who knows exactly what that seemed to have magically appeared from the closet.

Taking the bag when it was offered to him, Axel looked from the mess to the open, and now empty, closet before asking, "You haven't broken anything, have you?" Leon's glare returned ten fold and the redhead shrank away from it. "I-it's a very valid question. W-we don't have the money to replace anything you damage."

Feeling a serious threat to his life, the junior hunter quickly fled, running into his smaller boyfriend as he barreled into the living room, or more accurately over his foot and landing with a thud on the hard floor. "Push it a little far, did you?" the blonde chuckled, smiling down at the very flustered redhead.

* * *

His own houseguest was not in a much better room than his boyfriend's, but at least his problem seemed to have better control of his anger. Riku figured it was probably because power made him rule on the side of caution, so Cloud didn't lash out at innocent walls and sheets like Leon did. Although bottling it up wasn't entirely the best solution, either. So, despite all his instinct telling him to give the blonde at least a twenty foot berth, he walked up with false calm and sat down, grabbing the remote and absently flipping through channels until he gained the courage to speak.

"What is it you want?" the blonde asked, voice barely a low growl. He was still emotionally sore from the knife wound and angry his lover hadn't come to apologize for the attack yet.

Jumping ever so slightly at the harshness in the tone directed at him, it took the fledgling another short moment to calm back down. "How long are you going to be in denial?" Riku answered with a question, preparing himself for a hit of some kind. Instead Cloud just growled, a low, feral growl, and turned a little farther away from his charge. Somewhat emboldened by the fact his head wasn't rolling around room at that moment, he continued, "You can't keep solely blaming Leon for what happened, whatever did happen." He added the last part as an afterthought, not wanting his teacher to think he was basing his words on the biased words of an angry lover. "Two people are needed for an argument, so you had to have done something. And since I know how stubborn both of you are I have a pretty good idea of what went on." A slight pause to give Cloud time to speak if he desire, then, "Mind telling me what did happen?"

The irate grumble portrayed the idea that the master vampire had no intention of recounting the incident to the younger man, but after a moment the dejected sigh told a different story. "If he wasn't so stubbornly… stubborn," Cloud mumbled, glaring at the half-carved, browned apple still laying on the coffee table. "Did he really think I would play the bottom partner indefinitely? He automatically assumes I am going to let him screw me again, then acts indignant when I tell him otherwise. Sure, I was a little forceful towards him but he didn't have to refuse me so finally!"

"You tried to make him have sex with you?" Riku asked, surprise apparent in his voice. Sighing in exasperation, he gave the older, supposedly wiser, man an incredulous look. "Are you seriously that stupid? After all the time you spent idly allowing Leon to come to you, you blow it all in an instant of impatience? You should know by now that forcing anything on Leon only serves to make him reject it! There are other ways to get what you want than by using brute force, especially since he doesn't have the ability to fight against you!"

"So what would you have done then?" Cloud snapped, turning around so fast Riku hadn't blinked and he hadn't seen it. "I've been waiting for that asshole for years and then he—"

"All the more reason you should have been able to hold off another day or two!" the silverette interrupted, just as much anger behind his tone. "Instead of trying to force yourself on him you should have waited until he was in the mood for it! Then all you'd have to do is simply tell him you weren't going to be the woman this time! Tell him that if he wants something he has to give something in return!"

"Am I just supposed to baby him for the rest of his mortal life?" Cloud shot back, not one to take such a blatant attack without some type of retaliation.

"I wasn't finished speaking," Riku growled, a menacing calm in his tone. "Just like how you don't want to have a dick shoved up your ass all the time he doesn't either. Which means you can't expect him to always take the girl's role." Feeling the red bleed into his teal eyes and not wanting a Blue-Eyes striking at his throat, he quickly stood and headed towards the door. "And it's not babying him. It's called tact. Use conditions he can understand and agree to and it will get you a lot farther."

Flinching as the door slammed, Cloud sighed at the problems of being a vampire. Temper flares were a really good way to deter friends…

* * *

It had been a whole thirteen minutes since any disturbing sound had been heard from Leon's bedroom, so Sora decided to try once more. Cautiously opening the door, he peeked in to see an exhausted hunter flopped down on a messy bed. "Can I come in?" he asked kindly.

"Yeah," Leon sighed, doing nothing else to acknowledge his guest. "What do you want?"

"I can't help you unless you tell me what went on," Sora stated, closing the door behind him and leaning on it.

The adrenaline and rage all but seeped out of his body, the only thing he seemed to have the energy for was to grumble. "I don't need help," he stated very unconvincingly.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Sora chuckled. "So?"

Groaning and forcing himself to sit, he asked the younger brunette with his eyes, "Are you going to drop this?" Noticing Sora's unwavering resolve, he told a very similar story to what Cloud told Riku, except from his point of view and without as much acceptance of guilt.

"What's so wrong with switching places?" the teenager asked, linking his hands behind his back.

"It's humiliating!" came the instant reply, earning him another laugh from the boy.

"No it's not," Sora stated. "It's strange, a bit painful, but feels good in the end. It gives a great sense of connection, probably even more than to the person above."

"You're just saying that because you've only ever bottomed with Riku," Leon retorted, expecting to get some sort of reprisal from the brunette.

Instead, he got a near solid affirmation. "Most probably," Sora nodded. "But I'm sure Riku would let us switch if I wanted to." Leon's gaze gave a clear message, one saying that their relationships were not the same. Rolling his eyes at his mule-headed friend, he started, "You said it's humiliating to be the one receiving, but isn't that what you are doing to Cloud? And without trying it how would you know? You are right about one thing, the way Riku and I interact is not the same as how you and Cloud do. Since you two both desire to be the dominant partner doesn't that mean you two should share the role? It's not very fair of you to think you can always take it when your partner wants it too. If you aren't lenient in some ways then you will only lose him, and I'm pretty sure you don't want that."

Smiling at the thoughtful look on the hunter's face, he turned the doorknob and started to leave. "If what I said has any meaning to you at all," he started, half in and half out of the room, "then you will learn to let a bit of your pride die, to make place for something much more important."

Leon hated it when kids were right…

* * *

Swallowing something more than just the apprehension in his throat, a calloused hand casually rapped on the wooden door. It opened almost immediately, obvious surprise on the face of blonde opening it. It only lasted a second, though, and then Leon was being pulled through the open portal and into the front hall. The tight grip on his wrist made the brunette sigh, thinking he was going to need to use the knife he had tucked into his sleeve just in case. The pressure was gone almost as fast as it had been applied, though, and his lover was taking a couple steps away.

Taking a deep breath and readying himself for the speech he had prepared on the way over… "I'm sorry," Cloud stated suddenly. Leon blinked in shock; looked like he wasn't the only one who had swallowed his pride. "I was forceful yesterday and shouldn't have been."

"You were angry, it happens," Leon replied. "I shouldn't have been so resolute." Toeing off his shoes, the brunette strolled passed the vampire and headed towards the back room. Looking back over his shoulder, he asked, "Are you coming or not?"

A primal hunger in his blue eyes, the blonde collided with him before he even managed to get to the door, wrapping his arms around that muscular torso and latching onto his neck from behind. Mewling in pleasure as Cloud sucked his skin into his mouth, some perverted part of Leon's mind wondered just what sensations would blaze through his body if those fangs he felt pressed against his skin actually pierced it. The irrational part of him actually almost asked the vampire to do just that, a request he was certain Cloud would oblige, but the more reasonable piece of his mind quickly beat it back into submission. "Can't we—Ahh!—get to the bed first?" he asked, letting out a sharp gasp in the middle of his sentence.

Releasing the bruise now forming in the crook of Leon's neck, Cloud's tongue traced the shell of his lover's ear before he seductively whispered in it, "Who is playing who?"

Feeling the heat rise to his face, and surprisingly to some other place, he mumbled, "You wanted to lead, right?"

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

* * *

A rude knock on the door woke the two, a very unimpressed Riku leaning on the doorframe. "It's after one in the afternoon, you know," he said. "And is that all you two ever do?"

Glaring at the silverette, Leon's retorted, "You're just a kid. I don't expect you to know the problem solving powers of sex."

Smirking evilly, Leon felt like he had said something wrong. "Whoever said I was talking about sex?" he asked, a sadistic glint in his eye. "I was talking about how you two always argue," he added innocently. Laughing as he turned back to the hall, he swore to never forget just how red the hunter's face could get.

* * *

**OoOoOoOoOoO** has replaced the sex scene. Full chapter at: http(:)/angelic-hellspawn(.)deviantart(.)com/art/Infected-Chapter-14-306860633

This last scene was actually added as an afterthought (as in after I had the entire timeline typed out), and almost appeared in the last chapter. It fits better here, though.

Only **8 Chapters** to go.

Reviews are luffed and appreciated.


	15. Chapter 15: Confrontation

I wish I could tell you that I am back and strong and that I will be posting updates every week and I will have this story done in just a month or two. Unfortunately, my imagination does not like to follow schedules and directly opposes rules. I'm just a handful of chapters from the end of this story, so I'm hoping it won't take me another year to get the next chapter out... (It has been about 10 months since my last update, and I'm incredibly sorry about that!)

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Confrontation**

Placing his knuckles at the small of his back, Sora pushed them hard into his spine as he arched his back, trying to stretch the sleep, as well as the weariness from the previous night's activities, out of it. His silver-haired lover had been quite passionate, which while enjoyable at the time normally left his entire body sore and heavy the next morning. He really needed a bath.

As he unlocked the door, something at the corner of his vision caught his eye. The calendar hanging by his door was still turned to the previous month, even though they were already two days into this one. Flipping the page up and hooking it on the nail since it would only take a second to do so, Sora's bright blue eyes noticed something a little over halfway down the page; a hand-drawn, black ink cake with four stick candles, the words "Riku's Birthday" scribbled beneath it. It was only two weeks away! Glancing at the sleeping silverette as he slipped out the door and across the hall, the young brunette couldn't believe he had almost forgotten. He had to do something special for his boyfriend—something extra special for almost forgetting—but he wasn't entirely sure what. Testing the water temperature with one hand before he stepped into the tub and pushed down the plug, his mind raced at just what type of present he should get the vampire. Sinking down into the very comfortable water, he just couldn't seem to come up with something he could consider good enough.

* * *

Walkers really were quite useless. Twice they had seen their target, and both times they had lost him almost instantly. The only thing his mindless servants had accomplished was confirming the man was in the city. He couldn't even be sure _that man_—he wasn't worthy of a name—came by there regularly. After four days of surveillance he hadn't seen even a glimpse of his target. It was more likely the Walker that had seen him here had simply gotten lucky and he had just happened to be in the same area for some other reason. The other location seemed even less likely to be part of the hunter's normal route, but after sitting on that shadowed ledge for four days Sephiroth wanted to do _something_ other than just sitting on that shadowed ledge. He would give it a few more minutes and if something didn't happened he's go find _someone_ to blow some steam off of on.

He was grateful for his patience a few moments later when from the far end of the alley a particularly familiar human come into view. He had grown from the last time Sephiroth had seen him, but that had been years ago when he and his mother had gone to collect his brother. Of course, Leon hadn't seen him at that time, but the distress and sense of absolute dread that had rolled off the teen at that time was pure ecstasy. He seemed distracted now, though, completely unaware of the threat just fifty meters south of his position. Slipping from shadow to shadow until he was perched just a few meters above his helpless victim's head, Sephiroth had to use all of his self control to not swoop down that instant and tear the arrogant head off of that pathetic inferior being. Killing him now wouldn't serve his plan's full potential; Cloud had to be present.

A dreadful chill jolted down his spine, causing the hunter to stop and nervously check every corner and crevice within sight. Even that didn't seem to dissuade the horrible feeling permeating his mind. Consciously holding down shivers, Leon kept his gaze directed straight ahead and hurried down the bustling street. He could feel whatever was watching him following him, but subsequent glances at his surrounding didn't reveal his pursuer. Normally if he felt such a malevolent presence he would go look for the vampire and dispose of it, but something in the back of his mind was telling him this was no ordinary vampire and he shouldn't go searching for it. Moving quickly through the crowd, he took the most indirect path back to Sora's house.

The farther he got from the place he first felt the presence the farther away it seemed to be, until it finally disappeared completely from his perception. Figuring it was safe enough to return, he headed straight for his host's place.

It had taken him several minutes to realize Leon was taking him in circles, and several more to realize why. After all, it was inconceivable that someone so inferior could actually sense his presence. Once he lowered his spirit pressure his target seemed to relax and head on a more defined course, finally disappearing into one of the houses in the slightly more rural areas. A toothy grin spread across the vampire's angular face, his body vanishing into the shadows of a nearby alley as he waited patiently for the hunter to go on his normal rounds. Not even the noxious homeless man that ambled down the slim passageway right by him couldn't distract him from his mission. Finally, he was waiting for a reason.

Leon had warned Axel and the new friends he was living with, then quickly rushed to tell his lover. Cloud just brushed it off, but the inner turmoil showed on his face enough to let Leon know something was most definitely wrong. The instant he opened his mouth to ask, though, it was filled with Cloud's tongue and his question was lost to the back of his mind as his body was quickly led to the bedroom.

* * *

The hunter left at three times, and took a different route each time. He started with a long, winding circuit in the morning, passing through most of the alleyways in the populated districts and along the main roads of the city. His second trip was much shorter, just a short lap around the neighborhood right after one to make sure no one was out for a midday kill. For his purposes, Sephiroth would use Leon's afternoon rounds. After over a week of discreet tailing (after that first encounter when he realized Leon could sense him) the master vampire was confident he could get his brother to the precise spot he needed to be at the exact time Leon would show up. He had to give the human some credit, he was punctual.

The front door creaked open more eerily than usual, stopping Leon in his tracks for a moment. If he was a superstitious person he might have considered it a bad omen. Instead he just leaned back inside and yelled, "Sora, you might want to think about oiling the door hinges! They are getting more obnoxious than normal!" A shouted 'okay' could be heard a few feet out into the street, then a gusty breeze slammed the door. Just shaking it off as the weather, Leon started down the street, started his rounds… _and the start to his demise_, Sephiroth thought, taking flight.

The bustling city stretch out below him as the vampire made the short flight to his brother's residence. Landing in the back yard, he walked around it casually twice before stopping by the living room window. A small grin on his face, wind gently tousling his long, silver hair, he extended one hand to its length and closed his fist. The loud crashing of glass breaking echoed through the room as all the windows in the house shattered, a couple beams trying to buckle under the force of Sephiroth's power.

If Cloud had any doubts about who had entered town he didn't anymore. Pushing back with his own strength, the two compromised beams started mending their broken fibers and the dangerous shards of glass melted back together and into place. An angry aura sifted out through whatever cracks it could find, reaching out with clawed fingers towards the offending vampire. It dissipated whenever it got too close to him, though, since such a simple manifestation did not possess the power to break through his innate defenses. He wasn't fooled, though; this was no where near the power his brother possessed. This was simple his anger taking control of the minimal power his body radiated naturally.

Having fixed his house-mending, Cloud's anger threw the door open. Stepping out of the darkened interior, eyes glowing a menacing blue, he spat, "I see you finally caught up to me."

"That's because you were stupid enough to stop moving," Sephiroth taunted, leaning back against the fence and crossing his arms.

"I see you don't have your over-compensating-ly long sword with you," the blonde shot back, not letting a single nerve in his body relax an inch.

Showing his fangs in an evil grin, he stated, "Because I don't need it for this mission," then took off without warning. A wave of dread suddenly washing over him, Cloud's mind quickly put the pieces together. He was off in pursuit not a fraction of a second later, half of his attention bent on berating him for not figuring it out sooner. From the presence he had felt weeks ago to Leon coming to him just a week ago and telling him of a suspicious maliciousness that had seemed to follow him, the clues were laid out in a nice, neat line for any idiot to see; he was not his brother's target. And he had to get there first.

The older male glanced over his shoulder at regular intervals, making sure his quarry was still right on his tail. Luckily for him Cloud had never beaten him at a race, otherwise this chase would be a little more difficult. They were making good time, though, and in just a few more seconds… Exerting a burst of magic the silver-haired master vampire shot into an alleyway and out of sight. Cloud slammed into the neglected concrete just in time to see his brother, at the far end, wrap an arm around his lover's torso and hold the five long, menacing claws on that hand to his throat.

"Good of you to join us, brother," he teased, stroking Leon's hair with his free hand. At the brunette's twitch of revulsion his neck came in slight contact with the sharp points of his captor's nails, although not quite enough to break the skin.

"Let him go, Sephiroth," Cloud growled, fangs fully bared. He debated charging, but there was still too much ground between them. By the time he got to his lover his neck would be shredded beyond normal repair, and he knew Leon was not ready to become a vampire.

"Uh-uh-uh, no no," Sephiroth scolded mockingly as his brother tried to inch closer. "Come up even with that dumpster and I will tear out his throat," he added with more finality, pointing absently at the dumpster just half a meter from the blonde. "There is no need for us to fight, anyway, for I have come to you with a deal."

Scoffing at the ridiculous notion, Cloud took a step back as a precaution (he wouldn't want to accidentally come past the dumpster when Sephiroth no doubt pisses him off). "And just what is your offer?" he asked evenly, not anywhere near as calm as he sounded.

"Mom wants you to come back, brother. Aerith is waiting for you, and you can't be keeping your bride waiting," he started, acting like a priest giving a rehearsed speech to his congregation. "I am authorized to offer you something you can't refuse. Come back home, and I will spare this pathetic mortal's life."

"Do you honestly think I'll believe that?" Cloud asked, folding his arms defiantly over his chest. "The instant I am out of earshot your cronies would be all over him. There is no way _Mom_ would allow such an obvious obstacle to her plan survive," he stated, spitting that woman's title in disgust.

The older vampire flinches in mock hurt, and probably would have grabbed at his unbeating heart had Leon not been in the way. "That hurts," he whined, adding emphasis to his act. "You're underestimating our mother's kindness."

"Leon isn't the only one who still remembers Jenova's _kindness_," Cloud growled, taking a step forward again. The images of his lover's slaughtered family clouded his mind, muting his ears as he took another two steps towards his brother. Sephiroth was saying something, then shouting, probably telling him to stop but Cloud was deaf to it.

Then his nails pierced the pliable skin on Leon's neck, and all hell broke lose. Faster than Sephiroth thought possibly, Cloud covered the distance between them and grabbed his wrists hard enough to bruise. Leon was trapped between them now, and neither vampire could beat the other in brute strength. Finding breath coming harder and harder to his lungs, Leon could only hope that something happened soon to break their stalemate before he suffocated.

The hunter's gasping breaths bring Cloud back to his senses. This wasn't how he had planned on telling the other male, but he didn't really have much choice. "You can't touch him, Sephiroth," he said calmly, trying to keep his wits with the smell of his lover's blood in the air.

"And why might that be?" was the reply.

"Because he is my mate," Cloud stated, watching the arrogance and sense of superiority in his brother's eyes slowly be replaced by horror and dread. "Don't believe me? Check for yourself."

Leon felt the other vampire probing him, as if trying to peel back his skin like an onion and peer into his soul. It was a very unnerving feeling, and had he been able to move he would have squirmed under that gaze. A second later he was released to the man he was in love with, and a glance back over his shoulder to his former captors showed his smug expression had morphed into incredulation.

"What have you done?" he asked, voice shaking, although whether in fear or rage Leon didn't know.

The only thing Cloud said was, "What you were too afraid to." And then Sephiroth turned and fled, leaving the two lovers alone in a deserted alley. "You're hurt," the vampire cooed, bending down to the hunter's neck and running his tongue over the wounds.

He couldn't help but shiver as the cold tongue slid over his punctured skin, holding onto Cloud's shirt as his knees try to decide if they want to hold him up or collapse. Questions flitter through his head, but he is unable to give voice to them and can do nothing but put them off until Cloud gives him his strength back.

"There, all healed," he says, turning the hunter's head from side to side just to make sure.

With his legs now willing to support him, Leon pushes back from his weakened position and stands a foot away from his lover. Watching the vampires eyes fade from shining blue to crystalline sapphire, he blurts out, "What could have made that arrogant bastard so fearful?"

Sighing, and surprisingly not returning Leon's stare, Cloud replied, "This is not how I wanted you to learn this."

"Learn what?" the brunette asked, taking a single step back.

"You're my mate, Leon," he answered. To the puzzled look on the younger man's face, he continued, "Leon, a vampire will only ever have one mate."

"And what, I'm that destined someone?" Leon quipped, letting out a small chuckle.

"Yep, that's exactly it," Cloud jested back, giving a single laugh. "Seriously, though, that's not how it works. That mate can be anyone, it all depends on who you love. If that feeling is mutual and your bodies merge then your energies merge as well. Part of my aura has fused with your body, just as part of yours is now a part of me." He could see Leon tense up at this point, and the reason was no secret. "I promise, Leon, this in no way means you are even partially a vampire. Let me put it this way, there would have been no way you could have sensed Sephiroth if you didn't have my energy fused in you."

Nodding stiffly at that knowledge, and unconsciously running his tongue along the back of his teeth just to confirm he hadn't suddenly grown fangs, he slowly found his voice again. "And what did you mean by he can't touch me? And what he was afraid to do?"

"Let's answer those one at a time," he started. "I said that vampires will only ever have one mate. Once that mate dies the vampire all but loses the will to live. Very few survive a year after their mate. When family members didn't care for their choice of mate they would sometimes kill the mate, since they would rather lose their family member than have them with someone they didn't like. To protect that person and their mate a law was put in place; no one can harm or hire to harm a mate of a member of their family or a family member of a friend. To many families' dismay, that also protects human mates. As for your second question, let's just say that I'm not the only one Mother has tried to tear away from their mate. Only difference between me and Sephiroth, though, is that he allowed her to, while I have fought her the entire way."

Leon simply nodded and started heading towards Castle Oblivion for a nice, long, strong drink. Understanding that he had just swamped his mate with some heavy information, Cloud fell into step behind him and stayed quiet for the rest of the evening, and didn't complain once when the brunette decided to head back towards Sora's place instead of following him back to Riku's.

* * *

Just 7 more chapters to go!


	16. Chapter 16: Mates

It took a bit to figure out just how I wanted to start this chapter. At first I was going to actually type out all of Tifa's curses, but in all honesty I don't curse much so I didn't think I could write it very well. All-in-all, I think it turned out pretty nice.

Chapter length: 3116 words.

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts :'(**

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**Chapter 16: Mates**

Tifa was yelling at him again. Her indecent slurs and profanity could be heard as far away as the kitchen, where Axel was currently huddled in a corner with Roxas trying to calm the redhead down. You wouldn't know by looking at him now, but he and his partner have stood up to some of the scariest monsters in the world. A movie was paused on the TV downstairs, the two who had been watching it abandoning their positions on the couch to retreat to the quieter upstairs bedroom. Even then they could still hear the hunter's screeching about slacking off and duty. It was obvious that her patience was running thin with the two hunters staying with the twins, and Leon and Axel were running out of options.

"I am running out of foul things to call you!" the woman yelled, clearly irate. "If you are going to make something up then at least make it believable! Your report has fucking first grade errors littering it! It makes you look incompetent and makes me look bad! Say something back, damnit! It's like I'm talking to a fucking wall!"

Sighing because he knew just where this was going to lead, the brunette resisted the urge to rest his head in his hand in frustration. "Look—" he started before he was cut off, knowing fully well that while she would cut him off the instant he tried to reply, but the punishment for disobeying his pissed off superior would be much worse.

"Just keep your goddamn mouth shut for a minute and let me think!" she snapped.

_She must be under a lot of stress right now, _he thought, taking note of the worry creasing her forehead and knitting her brows together. _I know she has expectations to meet, but she looks a little more worn down than normal. Something else must be on her mind._

"You've been with us for five years now," she started, voice surprisingly soft. It was a bit startling, to say the least, and Leon had this bad feeling that it was a calm before the storm. "The circumstances that lead to you joining us were not the greatest, and you were still quite young. I may have only been a year older than you at that time, but I had been trained to be a hunter all my life. You… You were forced to wake up to the horrors of our world because of that monster. And you have never once stopped in your search for him. Not once since you started… It's only right that you would be tired, that exhaustion would be catching up to you." Her features were surprisingly gentle, as she spoke, easing the last of Leon's worries that there was some kind of explosion just beyond the horizon. "Take two weeks vacation. Let yourself relax so that when you get back on duty you can make up for the time you missed."

Such understanding (although it was incorrect understanding) was one of the last things Leon expected from the hunter. Over the last five years he had become so accustomed to her domineering personality and strict nature that seeing some kind of emotion was quite shocking. "And who will be watching this area while I'm off duty?" he asked, worried more so that they would assign someone else than that the people in the area would be attacked. Still, there was no way for Tifa to know this so his worry seemed to be for the latter reason.

"I'm afraid we don't have anyone close by that we can spare," she stated, Leon doing his best to mask his relief. She didn't seem to catch on to it, though, for she simply continued on speaking. "You haven't been noticing much activity there for the last several weeks anyway, so hopefully it will be a nice reprieve. We will keep our ears open for vampire activity, but I will only contact you if something major comes up."

Shaking his head slightly, the brunette asked, "And what about the minor cases?"

"Take the vacation," she stated firmly, although her tone did not contain that commanding tenor. "If it makes you feel better then continue doing your rounds. Just don't worry about reports for the next two weeks and try to relax as much as possible. I'll contact you again then to see how you are doing."

Silence clung to their lungs for a moment as Leon drug the scene along. He may have been making simple mistakes in his written reports but he had not forgotten how to convincingly act, so he let her words hang in the air for a minute before replying. "Alright," he said slowly, softly, biting his lower lip as if he wasn't entirely comfortable with the situation.

"Get some well-deserved R and R," was the last thing Tifa said before cutting off the connection.

Letting the pad slip down to its smaller size, he carefully replaced it in his pack and locked it away in the closet before daring to let out his held breath. Even the slightest misstep and she might have realized that he wasn't all that disappointed to be removed of duty for half a month. And since Tifa had a habit of listening in even after hanging up a call he was sure to not reveal that fact until the device was safely tucked away.

"That sounds like it went a lot better than normal," the other brunette said from the door, a large grin on his face. He must have cautiously approached the door when he realized the female hunter had ceased her shouting.

Leon gave him a swift nod, standing from the bed and driving his knuckles into the base of his spine in an attempt to crack the crick out of it. The smaller boy was gone by the time he made his way over to the door, his hurried footsteps audible as he took the stairs three at a time. No doubt he was going to relay the news to his boyfriend upstairs. The younger twin was exiting the kitchen as he entered the living room, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the other hunter was still inside. Giving a small nod in thanks, Leon casually strolled inside.

For a short moment he was confused because he didn't see his redheaded apprentice, and then he heard a small voice from down and to his left, "Is it over yet?"

"We've been given two weeks vacation," Leon stated, chuckling as Axel reflexively covered his head with both arms. Then his words made it through the flamboyant male's thick skull and he looked up with the most confused expression on his face.

"Wait, what?" he asked, slowly uncurling from the tight ball he had wound himself up into over the last half hour.

"We have been given two weeks vacation time," the older hunter reiterated. "Tifa thinks that our recent errors are from overworking, so she has given us some time to unwind so we can get back in the game." Neither missed the heavier tone in Leon's voice at his statement. It wasn't difficult to determine just what it was for, but Leon said it anyway. "I don't think our lies are going to work much longer," he said, leaning against the counter and folding his arms across his chest. "We have this two weeks vacation, and I'd say maybe two or three weeks before Tifa finally has enough. At that point… we won't have much choice but to explain to them what is going on here."

Curling his knees up so he could hug them, Axel closed his eyes against the information and rocked back and forth slowly. "We're lucky she's had patience with us for this long," he said after a minute had passed. "I think we'll be lucky if she lasts another month."

* * *

He could feel his lover's fangs against his lips as they kissed, and had the vampire not had his tongue in his mouth he would have worriedly checked his own canines for what would have been the around the twentieth time. Cloud had assured him he wasn't going to become a vampire even though he had mixed aura in his body, but that wasn't enough to fully alleviate the hunter's fears. The blonde breaking away from the kiss, he didn't miss the slight injection of sadness into those crystalline blue eyes as he did check for fangs. Although it could have also been because this made five days since he had the company of his mate with him at night.

Mate. That was the problem. Leon wasn't sure just how to deal with a title of that magnitude. "I guess this is goodnight?" Cloud said, distracting his lover from his musings.

"I'd say goodnight, but you'll probably be up until three or four in the morning," Leon replied, walking the few steps away from the older man and towards the door. "What with vampires being nocturnal and all."

"I go to bed earlier when you're not with me," Cloud replied as the brunette slowly opened the door. "I don't have a reason to stay up so late when you're not there."

He couldn't help but chuckle at how cheesy that line sounded. "Then goodnight, Cloud," he stated, retreating inside before the blonde could find something else that would make his heart beat faster and want to spend the night in the vampire's arms. Leaning against the thin barrier separating them, he let out a long sigh and closed his eyes.

"Mind telling me what's wrong?" Sora asked, startling him to the point where his feet slipped and he slid down the door to land hard on his ass. Staring up a little dumbfounded, Leon couldn't figure out just how the kid always seemed able to sneak up on him. Thinking the confusion was for why he wanted to know, the teen continued, "People tell me that the simple way I look at things often helps them solves their problems."

"That's not what I was thinking," Leon told him, rubbing the tired out of his eyes. "I was just trying to figure out how you keep sneaking up on me."

Smiling, Sora replied, "It's not too hard when you aren't paying attention. Now, do you want to talk to me about it? You're only two days into your vacation, but you look a lot more tense than you did before it started."

Sighing at how observant his host could sometimes be, Leon picked himself up off of the floor and removed his shoes. Walking passed the younger brunette, the only indication that he wanted the boy to follow him was the hand on his shoulder that turned Sora to face the same direction he was going. The two bypassed the living room, which was currently unoccupied, and continued on down the hall until they entered the guest room Leon and Axel were supposed to be using. Supposed to meaning that more often than not one or both spent the night elsewhere, Leon with Cloud and Axel with Roxas. Taking a seat on the redhead's bed, Sora patiently waited for his friend to start.

Leon paced between leaning against the wall and sitting on his bed for a few minutes while he tried to figure where to start. He didn't know just how much the teenager knew about vampiric relationships, nor just how much of what happened five nights ago he wanted to reveal. Finally deciding on sitting on his bed, he turned to the young man and asked, "Has Riku explained to you what a mate is?"

Sora gave him a single nod. "Cloud told us about it just over a week ago," he explained, then went silent again.

Inhaling deeply, he held the breath for a moment to clear his mind before exhaling the stale air and starting. "I just learned about it five days ago. I was… attacked… by Cloud's brother. He said something about Cloud having a fiancée, and if he didn't go back quietly then he would kill me. Then Cloud told him that I was his mate, and Sephiroth, Cloud's brother—" he added as Sora tilted his head in confusion "—suddenly backed off as if he'd been bitten. He told me how his family is not allowed to touch me because I am his mate, but…"

He had trailed off, and after several seconds in which he didn't start back up Sora finished for him, "You don't know how to handle it, being his mate, that is." Leon nodded simply and looked away. "Is there really a problem with it?" Sora asked, making Leon's head snap back around. "Riku had been worried about it, too, thinking that it would change me in some way, but all it basically is is a bond between us. All I have to do to _feel_ him is close my eyes. I haven't physically changed at all. If anything, I'd be worried for Riku and Cloud."

"What do you mean?" he asked, sitting up a little straighter and resting his arms on his legs.

"I mean, vampires are driven by instinct to remain loyal to only one person, the one they choose as their mate," Sora started, a soft smile touching his features as he gazed up slightly. "Humans, on the other hand, are much more fickle. I have seen classmates with a different partner every week, and families with multiple divorces; Mom dated no less than four people before she met Dad, and those are just the ones I know. My point is, I love him and have no plans of ever stopping loving him, but I can't help but fear that one day, far in the future, if I stay human that that darker side of human nature might catch up to me as well, and I will leave Riku behind. I know the chance of it is really small, but I use that to reinforce my feelings now so that they won't die out. Besides, think about it, he may have only told you about it five days ago but the link was established weeks ago, right? Don't you think that if your body was going to change that it would have by now?"

With the grin on his face it seemed impossible that the seventeen-year-old had just brought up an even darker thought just a second ago. "Yeah, you're probably right," Leon replied, almost hating the fact that this kid could see the obvious so much easier than he could.

"You love him, right?" the boy asked, receiving a nod as answer. "Then instead of worrying about the problems that won't come because of the connection you have with Cloud, make sure that your love for him never fades away. Because having the one you love not love you back has to be the worst torture this world could ever provide."

"And Cloud has been through enough of that," he responded quietly, although he doubted that the brunette hadn't heard it. He didn't ask questions, though, and instead stood up and asked if that was all that was on his mind. "All that you can help with," Leon said, a disappointed frown touching Sora's lips until they both heard a knock at the slightly ajar door. A pale hand swung the portal open, revealing a slightly agitated Riku.

Suddenly getting nervous, Sora stuttered, "J-just how much of that did you hear…?"

"Enough," the fledgling replied, snapping his fingers and pointing towards the ground in front of him. "I believe _we_ have something to talk about now," he added as the brunette cowardly walked over to his boyfriend. Closing the door as he left, Leon couldn't help but chuckle at the trouble the boy was in. No doubt Riku was going to scold him for thinking of something so dark and depressing.

He couldn't deny how accurate Sora's straightforward thinking was, though. If he was going to change it would have happened by then. Still, that was only one worry off of his mind. In just over a month he would no doubt have to either cut off all communication with Tifa or tell her that he was sleeping with a master vampire. And he couldn't get the itching feeling out of the back of his mind that things with Sephiroth had not been solved. Something told him that Jenova—that devil of a woman who would kill a human as if she was swatting a fly—would not take him being Cloud's mate lying down. Law or no law, something bad was going to happen.

* * *

Fly was a pretty good analogy between humans and vampires in Jenova's eyes. Her race had the advantage in physical abilities as well as mental ones. They could crush or repair things simply with the power of their mind, or set someone on fire or encase them in ice, depending on what powers they had. Humans also greatly outnumbered vampires, but just like flies were easy to squash. They seemed to do nothing but buzz around and announce their presence loudly, only to flee at the first sign of trouble. And comparatively, their lifespan was the same. Humans lived at most one hundred years, and vampires could live into the thousands. So telling his mother that a fly had managed to captivate his brother was not something that Sephiroth had wanted to do. He had spent the last five days combing over _that_ law extensively, but he could find no gaps in the conjunctures that would allow him to squeeze passed it. So he sat in the apartment he had made his base, the blood of the family that had once lived there long since dried as the new wallpaper, and held up a swirling of blue fire in his palms.

"Is the deed done?" a voice asked from the center, the face of a beautiful woman in what appeared to be her mid to late twenties appearing in the flickers of the flame.

"I'm afraid we have hit a snag," Sephiroth started, flinching as the face in the fire hissed and bared its fangs. "It's the human," he continued, voice steady despite the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as his mother kept growling quietly. "I'm afraid we are too late. They have already mated." Her face disappeared instantly, no doubt because in her rage she had moved too far from her own fire and thus just couldn't be seen. "What is our next move?" he asked, and waited for her to calm down enough to come up with a reply.

* * *

Based on the timeline I have written there will only be six more chapters to this story (although the last chapter might be broken up into two). I just hope it doesn't seem a bit too rushed when we finally get to there.

As always, reviews are luffed and appreciated.


	17. Chapter 17: Infected

This chapter took me forever to get started on quite simply because I had to write two different versions of it. Whereas with most of my stories if you see **OoOoOoOoOoO** it means that a part was completely cut out, in this chapter alone it means shows where the modified, "clean" version of the chapter begins and ends. I have posted this story on AdultFanFiction in its entirety (up to current chapter), so as long as you are over 18 you can go there to read the butchered parts.

Chapter length: 5513 words.

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts :'(**

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**Chapter 17: Infected**

The blonde and brunette exchanged raised eyebrows and worried looks, expression showing something between fear and panic. The taller male's eyes were clearly asking a question, 'what is going on here?' while the smaller one's simply shrugged and replied with an, 'I'm not sure I want to know.' The two then looked back on as the messy teenager was surprisingly cleaning up the living room. Sora was moving in what was almost just a blur of black and blue and red and yellow, snatching up the few empty candy wrappers and poptart wrappers that had come to make their homes on the coffee table as well fishing the TV remote out of the couch cushions. A towel haphazardly placed on the floor nearly tripped him up, so he quickly stooped down and grabbed it before continuing on his way with a handful of used paper plates and a couple empty pop cans into the kitchen. The two cringed when they heard the armful crash to the floor, most likely when he was trying to open the cupboard where the garbage can was located, and the boy curse semi-quietly as half-used ketchup and mustard splattered onto the hard linoleum. The sound of the facet being turned on reached their ears, and then a moment later the cupboard swung closed with a bang and the older twin emerging from the room. The blonde vaguely noticed the yellow stain on the cuff of Sora's pants as the boy approached them, wondering internally just what alien had possessed or replaced his brother to make him actually clean the house. Considering how messy his room constantly was, it was quite a surprise to the two that the boy even registered that the trash he had just thrown away didn't belong on the coffee table.

Coming to a stop in front of his younger twin, Sora asked in an excited voice, "You and Axel are still going to midnight movie release of Thor, right?" His face was only a few inches from his brother's as he tried to contain his anticipation, but the large grin plastered on it was more than enough to give it away. His twin-sense tingling, but his common sense strong-arming it into submission, Roxas resisted the urge to ask just what his spiky-haired twin was planning. Most likely, he didn't want to know anyway.

"Yeah, that's the plan at least," he replied somewhat nervously, leaning back slightly to put a little more distance between the brunette and himself. It didn't do him much good for in the next instant Sora's arms were wrapped his torso in a crushing hug.

"Alright," he cheered before releasing the blonde. Moving over the two steps to stand in front of Leon, he then asked, "And you're going to spend the night with Cloud like usual, right?"

Taking a nervous step back, the seasoned hunter articulated, "Um, well, I was planning on…" Sending a sidelong glance at his companion, his voice trailed off. The blonde was mouthing something to him, but he hadn't gotten the first part of it. Shaking his head marginally to tell the boy he hadn't quite gotten his message, Roxas rolled his eyes and started again.

'Word to the wise, stay with Cloud tonight,' he mouthed before looking straight ahead again like a soldier in a lineup. Figuring that the boy who had spent seventeen years with the teenager knew his motives a lot better than he did, the hunter looked back to his adversary.

"Planning on what?" Sora questioned impatiently, tilting his head to one side slightly in confusion.

"Planning on… just that," he replied, imitating the other male's at attention pose. "I was planning on staying over with Cloud."

"Yay!" the boy grinned, rushing off to go back to his task of tidying up the living room.

Watching Sora for just a short moment longer, the two soon realized that he was so engrossed in what he was doing that he probably wouldn't have heard their conversation even if they were shouting. "So why was it so important that I do as he asked?" Leon inquired, moving the few short steps so he could sit on the stairs. Wincing slightly as his ass touched the hard steps, he added, "I was planning on avoiding Cloud tonight because I want to be able to walk tomorrow."

Holding one hand up and shaking his head, Roxas started with, "Too much information. Let me just put it this way; past experience has taught me not to be anywhere nearby when Sora is planning something. Since it will most likely involve Riku, doubly so."

"Putting it that way, I can understand why I should be out of the house," he replied, standing up and stretching the ache out of his lower back. "I guess I'll just have to make sure Cloud realizes that no really means no this time…"

Watching the hunter's back retreat down the hallway to the guest room, the blonde's blue eyes swung around to absently follow his brother's movements. Sigh and shaking his head before heading up to his room, the only thing he could think was, _I just hope that whatever he is planning will be over by the time the movie ends_.

* * *

Anxiety seemed to be the theme of the night, for Sora was once again antsy as he stood just a few feet from the door. He was waiting, albeit somewhat impatiently, for the redheaded vampire hunter to finish tying his shoes. And while his brother and the older of his two guests were eyeing him with mild concern, Axel was completely oblivious to the anticipation riddling Sora's actions. The other two were shifting from foot to foot as they waited equally impatiently to get out of the house and away from the overactive brunette while Axel was calmly and casually humming some strange song to himself as he brought the bunny around the mound before it ducked into the rabbit hole. Afterwards, he stood and straightened his clothes before turning to his boyfriend's brother and asking, "Do you have any plans tonight? We're kind of leaving you here all alone."

A broad smile on his face, Sora enthusiastically replied, "I'll be fine." Taking the few steps to come up even with the taller male, he placed his hands on the redhead's shoulders. "Now don't worry about me," he continued, gently turning the older boy around to face the door, "and go and enjoy your movie." Practically shoving him through the door—as in literally _through_ the door, without opening it—he barely had enough self-control to wait for the last of the three, Leon, to get through the portal before closing it rather loudly. He then immediately ran down the hall to find the phone, placing it on the table before running upstairs to grab a few things in preparation.

Stopping a couple steps from the door, Axel scratched the back of his head in confusion and asked his boyfriend, "What was that about?" Roxas stopped dead in his tracks and Leon tripped over a small crack in the sidewalk. Regaining his balance, he sent an incredulous look back in the direction of the young blonde they were walking with.

"I feel sorry for you," Roxas sighed, shaking his head and starting off down the sidewalk again.

"It's more like I feel sorry for you," Leon corrected, falling into step beside the teenager. "I'm only his mentor, you're the one who _chose_ to stand beside him."

Unable to refute that, he just shook his head again and continued in the direction of the theatre, even when Axel yelled for them to wait up. "Come on, what'd I miss?" he shouted, voice echoing down the street.

The three stayed together for another few blocks before they split off into different directions. Roxas and Axel continued on straight, towards the theatre where the movie they were going to watch was going to start just under thirty minutes, and Leon to the left, in the direction of Riku's house. They gave each other a brief good-bye before they parted, then the brunette was left alone to sort through his thoughts. He had to come up with a battle plan before he reached his lover, otherwise the older, stronger vampire would no doubt manage to _convince_ him into bed before long. In all honesty, he was starting to get annoyed with Cloud, for he had not been given the dominant role since that first week. Every time he tried to bring it up since his lover had skillfully managed to distract him long enough to cloud his mind and push the thought from his head. This time, though, with his lower back already sore from the night before, he was going to insist that any escapades would not involve him on the bottom.

Taking the few steps up to the door, he was about to rap his knuckles on the wooden portal when it suddenly opened of his own accord. Only his conditioned reflexes kept him from getting very personal with it, but instead the sharp movement backwards sent a sharp, stinging pain up his spine. "Leon, oh, I'm so sorry," Riku apologized immediately once he realized how close he came to smacking the hunter with the door. "I, um… Cloud's in the living room. Sora just called me. It sounded kind of urgent."

Without waiting for him to reply, the silverette was already taking off down the street. Chuckling slightly, because he had a feeling he knew what was in store for the fledgling, he made his way inside and closed the door behind himself. Toeing off his shoes, he strolled into the living room just to find his blonde leaning arrogantly against a wall. The vampire leaning in for a kiss, he was quickly cut short with a swift slap on the wrist. "Not this time," he berated, a fierce, competitive look in his eyes. Cloud only smiled.

The bright red numbers on Riku's watch identified the time as 11:56, just four minutes before midnight. Just like he had done with Leon, the door opened just as he got to it, although it appeared that Sora had been watching through the curtained windows because he didn't almost hit the other male with it. A tanned hand shooting out of the dark interior and grabbing his wrist, the young vampire soon found himself being drug through the door. Riku barely had time to toe off his shoes before his boyfriend was once again pulling him along through the hallway and to the living room. He was deposited onto the couch, where he was finally able to get a good look at his surroundings. All the curtains were drawn, leaving the room virtually in the dark. His enhanced eyes could see just fine even with the minimal light from the street lights outside that made it through the fabric, and there was a small pile of… something… on the coffee table under a towel. Sora really needed to clean up the room. Next to the pile was a movie—How to Train Your Dragon _again?_—making him chuckle at his lover's very original train of thought. Shifting his weight he realized a blanket had been laid over the couch, which seemed kind of odd considering it would make it a lot more difficult to bunch it around them as they watched dragon movie for the one-hundred-and-twelfth time. Seriously, how many more times was Sora going to make him watch that movie until he got bored of it?

Sora reentered the room from the kitchen and sat down. When he glanced to the clock Riku's eyes followed, the entertainment center marking it as 11:58, before turning back to the boy next to him. Indicating toward the movie with one hand, he asked amusedly, "Is _this_ what was so important, Sora?"

Grinning from ear to ear, the brunette replied, "You'll see," and silence descended upon them again.

After thirty short seconds Riku couldn't stand it anymore and tried to speak again. "Seriously Sora, what is—"

"Shh," the younger male interrupted, holding a finger up to his mouth.

One silver eyebrow raised curiously on the fledgling's forehead. "Did you just—" he started.

"Shh," the boy reiterated, this time pressing a finger to Riku's lips. Oh he did! But he wouldn't let the silverette speak for every time he acted like he was going to open his mouth the finger would press into him farther. So, grudgingly, he finally just sat back and waited for whatever his—well, the best word he could find for him at the moment was strange—boyfriend had planned.

Faintly he registered the VCR beeping quietly as the clock hit midnight, but mainly he was just getting bored of the brunette's game. And then he felt two hands on his chest and he turned to look up into Sora's deep brown eyes. "Happy birthday, Riku," the boy whispered, seductively, almost inaudible, and then slowly, softly, _sensually_ pressed his lips to Riku's. He nudged the older male's lips with his tongue, tilting his head to the side slightly when he was granted access in order to deepen the kiss farther. Exploring the walls of the fledgling's mouth and occasionally massaging the other's tongue, tanned hands nimbly found their way to the hem of the vampire's shirt. Bunching the fabric up in his hands, he began to slowly inch the material farther up his boyfriend's smooth stomach, revealing his naval, then the bottom of his ribs, and it was just about to expose his nipples when the silverette's own digits slipped under Sora's shirt.

He immediately received a slap on the wrist. Confused, he leaned out of the kiss while Sora sat up a little, eyes scolding as he stared down at his boyfriend. "Just stay," the brunette commanded, a small hint of annoyance in his voice. He had been planning this for two weeks and he wasn't going to let Riku hastily ruin his surprise. "It's your birthday, so let me do all the work."

Riku's heart metaphorically fluttered, and red dusted his pale cheeks. "At least let me take off your clothes," he replied, almost a plead. He wanted to see more of the boy's golden flesh, to run his fingertips along the slightly defined muscles, to taste the saltiness on his tongue. But he was told to just lay back and enjoy himself, so the least the brunette could do was give him the first part of that chain of desires.

"No touching," Sora reiterated, but the seductive grin on his face gave away what he was planning on doing. Crossing his arms across his chest, he grabbed the hem of his shirt in both hands. Then, just as slowly as he had leaned in to kiss the older male, he brought those hands, and the shirt they held on to, up his body and over his head, displaying his chiseled torso for the other's viewing pleasure. A pink tongue slipped out to lick at undead lips, but before the silverette could do anything else Sora was pulling his own shirt over his head and off his body.

There wasn't a second's pause between that action and his next. With just a quick peck on Riku's moistened lips, Sora dove at the fledgling's throat. Nipping the pale flesh with his teeth, one hand gingerly traced lines on his chest as his fingertips neared the nipple while the other continued on a lower path. The featherlike touched acted like bolts of electricity, stimulating the older male's body in ways that touching the other boy never could. He could feel the small buds on his chest hardening, and when Sora experimentally pinched one between his thumb and forefinger he could not stop from letting out a pleasured gasp.

Smirking, the brunette directed his small love bites down until he reached the collarbone. Giving one last playful nip, he latched on to the bone and gave it a strong suck. Keening at the unfamiliar, but pleasant, sensations, Riku arched his head back into the couch cushions. He continued to moan and gasp at his boyfriend's ministration until he felt a hand at the edge of his pants. Holding in a breath, his mind started to reel as he felt the button, and then zipper, be undone. He could feel both the anxiety and anticipation welling up in his throat, his brain desperately trying to wrap itself around just what the brunette was planning. Sora had only mentioned it once or twice, and always in humor, but was he really going to…? And then he lost that train of thought for a moment as the bruise forming on his collarbone was deepened.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

With what he believed was a pristine hickey on the vampire's collarbone, Sora released the skin in his mouth and slipped off the couch. Reaching for the bundle seemingly forgotten on the coffee table, he removed the top towel to reveal a bowl of water and supplies to clean up afterwards, as well as a bottle of disinfectant and two different scents of lubrication. He went for the latest of the items, taking one in each hand and holding them out for the silverette to see. "Which one?" he asked.

Riku looked between the two for a moment, one labeled as lavender scented while the other was cherry, before embarrassedly pointing to the cherry one. It seemed appropriate, considering his mind was still under the impression that Sora was planning on taking him.

Placing the other tube back on the table, he had a set about to work. His jeans were quickly discarded and Riku's were taken down to his knees, confusing the vampire slightly because there was no way he could physically reach his entrance like that. Then Sora climbed on top of him and straddled his hips and the lights clicked on in his eyes; Sora wasn't going to take him, he was going to ride him.

Spreading cherry smelling lubricant on his fingers, Sora quickly set to work preparing himself. Halfway through he made the mistake of looking up into Riku's eyes, and the red glow captivated him. If his head wasn't so hazy with lust he might have realized the danger those eyes held, but instead their exotic feel just spurred him on to move faster. Finishing with his own preparation, he spread more the slick liquid on his boyfriend. Hesitating for just a second, he slowly sat down on the older male. It was uncomfortable and in his haste he hadn't prepared himself enough, but luckily Riku managed to stay still until he adjusted. Finally ready to move, the brunette began to figure out a steady rhythm.

It wasn't until his sweet spot was hit that things fell apart. Throwing his head back in pleasure, the fledgling got a perfect view of his throat. In an instant he was sitting up with his arms around the brunette in a crushing hug, one hand bunched in his messy hair. His fangs poised over the boy's pulse, Riku's rational mind was completely lost. And as he pierced through the flesh the only thing at the forefront of his mind was his instinct to keep his mate.

Sora realized the one thing he overlooked when he felt those two, sharp jabs in his carotid artery. If Riku hadn't drank blood in over two weeks then the chance his instincts would take over increased dramatically, and it had been twenty days from his last feeding. He could feel his blood being drained and at the same time something else being added. It burned his veins and spread to all of the surrounding tissues, slowed his heart and stopped his breathing until he finally lost consciousness.

Riku didn't stop until after he came to his release, and then they just sat there motionless, Sora unconscious and Riku lost in his own head.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

The two remained like that for several minutes, waiting for the fledgling's stupor to wear off and his conscious mind to wake back up. Only half aware of what he was doing, he released his death grip bite on the younger male's throat, the brunette's head lolling backwards. Licking the blood off of his lower lip and chin, he still wasn't quite conscious enough to realize what he had done. Gazing absently at the wounds he had created, the pieces finally started falling into place. His eyes went from half-lidded and euphoric to wide open and horrified. "Sora?" he questioned breathlessly, releasing the boy from a bone shattering hug and grabbing his shoulders. "Sora?" he tried again, giving the brunette a little shake. He already knew he wouldn't get a response, but that didn't stop him from hoping. "Sora!"

* * *

The blonde brought a hand up to scratch the back of his neck, but the itch he was feeling didn't seem to be physical for it wasn't working. No matter how much he scratched it just wouldn't go away, and after about a minute even Axel took notice. "What's wrong?" he inquired, turning away from the movie.

Roxas's oceanic eyes met his, revealing the fear whispering at the back of his thoughts. "Something isn't right," he whispered in reply. "It's Sora, I can tell. I've been able to ever since we were really young. When something bad happens to him, I know."

The hunter could tell his boyfriend was torn. This was supposed to be their night—they had been planning it for weeks, including a nice hotel visit after the credits—but he was seriously worried about brother. "Let's go," he said, grabbing the blonde's wrist. Roxas looked from him, to the screen, then to the doors in question, to which he replied, "The movie can wait until another night, let's go make sure your brother's alright." Not needing any more urging, he flipped his wrist out of Axel's grasp and reversed their hold. Jumping over the older boy using the seats as leverage, he was soon dragging the hunter down the aisle and out the door.

The pair pretty much ran the entire way back, slowing to a brisk walk only when the smaller of the two ran out of breath. Without knocking, Roxas burst through the door and ran down the hallway without taking off his shoes. The house was so dark he slammed his toe into a side table he knew was against the wall, and he was know thankful he was wearing shoes because that would have hurt, so the first thing he did was flip on the light. The sudden light shocked Riku, the silverette tripped over the corner of the coffee table as he stood. He was missing his shirt, but that wasn't what the redhead noticed. The amount of fear present in his eyes was greater than when they first met and he thought Leon was going to kill him.

"What happened to Sora?" they heard the younger twin ask, the blonde now leaning over the back of the couch to look down at his brother. The brunette was shivering, his eyes tightly sealed in pain as his entire constitution was morphing, changing.

Still in shock himself, Riku couldn't bring himself to look at the other boy. Instead he brought a shaky hand up to cover his mouth as he tried to explain just what had transpired. "I… I… uh," he tried, but he couldn't get his body to form the words.

"He's turning, isn't he?" Roxas asked in an unusually calm voice. The vampire's silence was all the confirmation that he needed. "So what's next?"

"I… I don't know," he admitted guiltily. "This… isn't a subject Cloud has covered… and I never brought it up."

Shifting his gaze from his twin to the vampire, he asked, "Then don't you think you should bring it up now? We'll stay here and watch over him, so go get Cloud quick, so he can help both my brother and you get through this."

* * *

They weren't expecting a knock at the door, but considering where the blonde was trying to lead him Leon was thankful for the distraction. "I'll get it," he announced loud enough that he feared the neighbors three blocks away might have heard. And Cloud's growl could probably be heard from twice that. Opening the wooden portal, he was quite surprised to the fledgling. "What wrong, Riku?"

"Where's Cloud?" he asked in response.

Peering around the hunter's back playfully, he answered, "Right here. What's…" he trailed off when he got a whiff of the scent clinging to the fledgling's clothes. "Sora," he stated. "Leon, get your coat and sword."

Just minutes later the three were on their way back to the twin's place, a heavy silence hanging over them like a thunder cloud. There was the sense that any words would set it off and rain fire down on them, so none spoke. Arriving just over twenty minutes after the silverette had left, the three flooded into the living room. Sora's mouth was open as he tried to pant, but his lungs weren't working. His hands kept clenching and unclenching as he tried to combat the pain, Riku taking one in his own as he kneeled by the couch for his own comfort if nothing else. Riku keenly remembered his own transformation, the haze in his mind and fire in his throat and blood, and now he was subjugating the person most dear to him to that same pain. And the cursed lifestyle that follows.

"Is there anything you can do for him?" the fledgling inquired of his mentor.

"There is no way to stop the process," the blonde reluctantly informed, slipping his thumb between the boy's jaws and prying them a little farther apart. "His canines have started to grow, we'll have to move him soon. He will need to be somewhere he can feed, and we can watch from the shadows."

"Shouldn't we help him through this?" Riku shot, shivering at his own memory of trying to sort through his awakening.

"The first feeding has to be solo," Cloud stated. "When a fledgling first awakens their instincts are also in their infancy. If the sire helps them at that time then they will not grow and the vampire will not be able to control their impulses. They will kill with every feeding because they can't tell when to stop without help, and their thirst will be out of control. Just like a person with Pradar-Willi Syndrome they are unable to tell when their stomach is already full of blood so they never stop wanting to drink. Now we need to move him into an alleyway before he starts to regain consciousness."

* * *

The world was spinning, and he didn't want to get up. He wanted to breathe, but the air tasted horrid and heavy in his lungs. The concrete sidewalk was cold on his cheek, but it didn't seem to do anything to help with the burning in his throat. And finally, his eyes were so blurry that he didn't want to open them, but he also didn't know where he was so periodically he'd search his surroundings to see if anything had cleared up. He guessed around fifteen minutes passed between each checking, but at the same time he had nothing with which to judge the passage of time, so he remained on the ground and waited for his strength, and memory, to come back to him.

Watching from his perch on a nearby roof, Riku swallowed nervously as his lover laid almost perfectly still. He'd check his surroundings every minute, but had made no move to get up. The waiting was painful, and every nerve was telling him to go to the boy's side. A calm hand on his shoulder stopped him from jumping down. "It can take up to half and hour to reorient oneself with the world," the blue-eyes informed.

Sora could finally make out more than just blurs of light and dark, and shapes were quite quickly coming into focus. Slowly rising to his hands and knees, he pulled his legs out in front of him and rested his back against the wall in a sitting position. He could tell he was in an alleyway, although how he got there he didn't know. A stack of crates sat beside two overflowing trashcans, and he could tell not only by sight that it was behind a restaurant but by smell as well, the rotting leftovers of meat and fruit and unwelcome fragrance. A cat yowled at the far end, but it confused him when he looked in its direction only to not find it. A second yowl confirmed that it was in that direction, but it just must be right around the corner or something. Not paying it any more mind, he conducted another sweep of his surroundings in hopes of finding something defining, but there were no indicators for where he was.

Trying to catch his breath, Sora remained against the brick wall for a moment longer, one hand clutching at his throat. The burning in it was overwhelming, and he had to find something to lessen the pain so he used the wall to push himself to his feet. Maybe if he headed in either direction he would come across someone willing to give him some milk, or water, or… a mirror? It looked like it had once been a full length one, only shattered into several pieces now. And the way it was angled happened to correspond to just where he was standing that he could see his face, and the bright, glowing red eyes replacing his usual brown ones.

"I thought you said not to interfere," Riku hissed quietly, indicating to the broken glass the master vampire had just moved.

"He cannot see you, and he cannot know you are here," Cloud clarified, keeping his voice equally as low.

The image of his face jogged him memory of the passed hours, and as he worked to process it he absently pinched his thumb nail between his upper and lower fangs. The burning in his throat, that was his thirst for blood, the same thirst Riku faced every month. It was driving, controlling, and it scared him. He wasn't sure how to face it alone.

But how had he gotten to the alley? He didn't remember wandering there, so he must have been carried. "Riku?" he called, glancing up at the rooftops. "Riku!?"

"You can't!" Cloud commanded quietly, holding the silverette down with one hand and his mouth closed with the other. "You can go to him only after he feeds."

When his boyfriend didn't show up, Sora had to turn his attention to other matters. His thirst was not going down and something seemed to be calling to him from the opposite direction as the cat. Its intoxicating smell gave him strength and agility, the previously weak child traversing several meters in a couple seconds noiselessly. Peering around the corner, he could see the back of a woman in a white collared shirt and long, black skirt. From the way she was leaning over she seemed either drunk or sick, but neither mattered to the thirsty fledgling. She never saw him coming. In an instant he was behind her with one arm across her chest and the other hand covering her mouth and holding her chin. Forcing her head to the side, he angled his fangs as well at her pulse as a new fledgling could and bit down. He didn't manage to pierce her jugular vein, but he did make a tear in its side and the warm liquid flooded his throat. It was odd how the warmth on his tongue could cool the burning in his throat, but it was working. Each pull of his mouth lessened his thirst, and the power of his instincts over his own judgment, until he finally had the control to release the unconscious woman. She slumped forward onto several black trash bags, but she was breathing and her pulse was steady, albeit a bit slow; she would not die. And with blood still staining his lips, he searched the alley for the person he desperately wanted to see at that moment.

"You can go now," Cloud said, and no sooner were the words out that Riku was flying to the ground.

"Sora?" he tentatively asked, taking a single, cautious step forward.

The brunette immediately spun on his heels and dove into his lover's arms, burying his head in the taller male's shoulder. "Riku," he whispered, clutching at the fabric on the silverette's back.

"I'm so sorry, Sora," he replied shamefully, softly stroking the brunette's spiky locks. "I never meant to do this to you."

Smiling slightly into his shoulder, Sora replied, "It's alright. I don't mind, really. And it's just as much my fault as it is yours; neither of us thought of it in time."

"But I—" he started, but was cut off by a fist pounding once into his chest.

"Just shut up and take me home. I'm tired."

* * *

The original version of this chapter is almost 2k words longer (7390). My penname is the same on AFF, **Himitsu_no_Tokumei** and can be found here: .net(/) ?no=1296914440 Sorry in advance if FFN butchers the link.

This leaves only five (possibly six if I split one) chapters left in this story.

As always, reviews are luffed and appreciated.


	18. Chapter 18: Shame

First off, I'd like to wish everyone a **Happy New Year**. I hope that 2014 is a good year for everyone. I will reiterate that I am not abandoning any of my stories (I love them all and have every intention to finish them eventually). With that said, I am going on a **_planned_ six month Hiatus** on **all** **of my stories_. _**The reason for this is very simple: I have a novel idea I want to work on and my fanfictions distract me from those when I try to work on them. Since I am really into it and in the mood to write I am going to put these on hold for six months while I write it. If after the six months I haven't finished yet I will come back to these and get another set of chapters out quickly so I don't leave you guys a year between updates again.

This is the _only_ story I might write in before the six month hiatus is up, and then it would only be if I am so stuck on the novel that I need something else to get my mind off it for a while so I can come back and look at it again with a clear head. The reason for this is I only have four (five if the last chapter gets cut into two) chapters left with this story, and I really want to get one of my longer stories finished. I think it would give me a great boost of confidence.

The title for this chapter kind of sucks, but it was the best I could come up with to encompass the whole chapter.

I gift you with 4,287 words. Enjoy!

**I do not own Kingdom Hearts :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 18: Shame**

Sora could barely believe just how _good_ everything smelled. He always thought his mother's cook was the best, but his new senses could catch every fragrance and aroma in ways they never could as a human. Every spice could be distinguished from the others, yet they blended so perfectly into one scent at the same time. His eyesight had improved exponentially as well, with every color and texture more vivid and bright than ever before, and he was finding it hard to believe there could be so many shades of one color. The sounds, though… "Ow," he whined quietly as his father dropped his fork onto his plate a little too harshly. _How does Riku deal with this so easily?_ he mentally questioned, rubbing one ear in an attempt to ease the quiet ringing.

"Sora? Is something wrong, dear?" his mother asked, noticing her son's obvious discomfort.

"Oh, nothing," he replied quickly, flashing her a toothless smile. Considering that his smiles usually took up half his face she noticed the oddity in his behavior. "Just some water in my ear or something. Itches." He was still slightly worried that his fangs would appear out of nowhere, even though he understood that his parents would most likely see red eyes first, so he did his best to not show his teeth around them at all. Yes, Riku's parents had surprisingly taken his boyfriend's turning in stride, but that didn't stop him from worrying that his wouldn't.

Noticing his brother's anxiety and hoping to distract his parents from it, Roxas started, "The turkey is amazing, Mom! Did you do anything different with it this time?"

Never one to pass up a compliment on her cooking, she quickly went off on just what she had done differently this time. Honestly, Roxas didn't enough know half the spices she rattled off, but it made her happy and eased his brother's worry, so it didn't matter.

"Thank you," the fledgling mouthed as their mother went on to explain the change in both temperature and time of cooking the bird. In reply, the blonde flashed him a small smile.

By the end of her spiel the woman had either forgotten her other son's earlier discomfort or decided to drop the matter for another time. Based on the look she gave him as he started up the stairs, Sora guessed on the latter. He knew this conversation would have to come up at some time, but he really wasn't ready right yet. For one, he wanted to get through to Riku first. His silver-haired boyfriend had barely spoken over two dozen words to him over the last week, and they had all been apologies, or partial apologies since Sora had made a habit of cutting him off every time he tried. The silverette had cursed him to an eternal life of drinking blood when he was still trying to deal with that weight himself.

And speaking of drinking blood, he was thirsty. The drive for blood was a terrifying thing, and no amount of description could have prepared him for the full magnitude of the feeling. He was still getting used to the changes, but he did not regret becoming a vampire. What he needed was a way to show that to his lover. "I need blood," he panted quietly, a hint of red coloring the edge of his irises. "Maybe if I bring Riku with me I can show him I'm okay with… this."

* * *

Several sets of eyes stared in the direction of the one person missing from the table. "Is he not coming in again?" the woman asked worriedly.

"How many meals will this make now?" her husband asked, equally concerned.

Turning to face him, she replied, "Thirteen. Cloud, please tell me you know what's bothering him. By now he has to be…"

Exchanging apprehensive expressions with the brunette to his side—Leon was almost spending more nights at Riku's house than Sora's now—he slowly turned to face his host. "I'm afraid if he hasn't told you then it isn't my place to inform you." _This is something he has to come to terms with himself._

The young vampire had already overturned pretty much everything he possibly could. His bed was the only thing still on its intended legs, and he was currently sitting in the middle with one hand at his burning throat. His instincts were telling him to go out on the hunt, but his mind refused to obey the command. Every time he wandered to the thought of blood he remembered in the vivid detail of vampiric vision watching his lover share in his curse. The brunette's red eyes haunted him in his sleep, and just looking at the boy brought up the sight of blood staining his chin. For that reason he had been avoiding the person he loved for the last seven days, but with his attention so divided he didn't even notice his window opening.

"Riku?" the source of his torment asked quietly, a little nervous. He had never seen his boyfriend in such a desperate state, and a small part of him was afraid the older fledgling was angry at him for the accident and that was why he was avoiding him. After all, had he not come up with that stupid plan then none of the following events would have happened.

Startled by the new voice, the silverette jumped and turned his crimson eyes on the new occupant of his room. "S-Sora, what are you doing here?" he stuttered out in question, unable to look away from the ruby hue of the brunette's orbs. As much as he wanted to look away he couldn't, some primal instinct rising up from his core and growling with satisfaction in his mind. This horrified him, the boy who was barely a man unable to digest the fact that some part of him was _thrilled _at the fact that he had turned Sora.

"It's just that…" he trailed off, not entirely sure how to convey his intent without opening up scabbing wounds. "Well, it's been a week now. And I'm thirsty again." He saw his lover flinch and cringed. "I know you don't want to see me right now, and you probably blame yourself for what happened, but I want you to come with me."

"But Sora, I did this to you," Riku finally managed to say, swinging his legs over the side of his bed. "I turned you into a vampire."

A soft smile on his face, Sora replied, "I've already told you, I don't blame you. At all. This will… take some getting used to, of course, but to be honest I was going to ask you to turn me, once you were ready." Closing the small gap between them, the spiky-haired brunette rested his forehead on the other vampire's shoulder. "I'm still… a bit scared. I'm trying to figure out all of these changes, but I'm doing it alone. I wish you were there with me."

Realization dawned on the eighteen-year-old's face. Cloud had been trying to convince him for the last seven days to stay beside the man he loved, but in his shame he couldn't bring himself to do so. And by doing so he managed to do the exact same thing his sire had done to him; left him all alone in a new, confusing world. Tentatively wrapping his arms around Sora's waist, he choked out, "I'm so sorry, Sora."

Embracing him in return, Sora cooed lovingly, "It's alright. I don't mind." Placing his hands on either side of his sire's head, he knelt down so they were eye to eye. "We'll figure this out together, I promise." Several seconds passed between them, then the boy touched on the delicate subject. "But right now, shouldn't we go get something to drink?"

Gaze dropping to the carpet, it took several another short moment for him to reluctantly nod his head.

Worried about his charge, Cloud slowly opened the thin sheet of wood separating him from the room's interior. "Riku?" he asked cautiously, peering inside. Stunned, his slammed the door open loud enough to make Leon jump in the room down the hall and rush to his side. The usually quite tidy room looked akin to the wreckage left behind after a tornado or tsunami. To add to his anxiety, said room's owner was nowhere to be seen.

Understanding just how fragile the silverette's mind had become over the last week, Leon instantly jumped to the worst conclusion possible. Spinning on his heels, he made it half a step before a strong hand gripped his shoulder. "Don't worry," he stated simply.

"Don't worry!" the hunter shot back instantly. "Don't worry? We have _no _clue what state his mind is in! He could be a danger to himself or someone else!"

The blonde was slightly taken aback, although not by his lover's yelling. More so, he was surprised and proud of the fact that Leon's first concern was for the fledgling and not the people he would potentially feed on. "Sora's with him," he replied evenly, literally feeling the tension start to ease out of the hunter's shoulder. "He needs to feed again, too, and they will draw strength from each other."

The two figures crouched in the alleyway. Two men playfully pushed each other at the other end, the shorter one spewing some unintelligible complaint when his companion made him spill some of the liquid from the can in his hand, most likely beer by the way they were acting. Just a second later they were both laughing hysterically and kanpai-ing their drinks together and spilling more alcohol down the sides of their cans. This time, though, neither seemed to care—or even take notice—of the waste.

Disgusted by the elation rising in his chest, Riku forced himself to look away. Anxious and ashamed, he nervously bit his lower lip, accidentally puncturing it with one of his fangs. The scent of blood alerted Sora, and the brunette's red eyes turned to focus on him. He understood his lover was struggling, and it hurt him that there was so little he could do about it. "Riku," he whispered, one hand rubbing soothing circles on the vampire's back. Smiling when his silverette looked up at him, he lightly pecked the teen's bleeding mouth before lapping at the blood. The wound was already on the mend so he didn't get more than a few drops, but it was enough to get his instincts excited. "I'm right here beside you."

Gathering up what courage he could find, the other male replied, "Alright. Let's do this…"

* * *

Even Sora's mother, who was known for being unusually dense at times, had started picking up on her son's relationship problems. She wasn't sure what was going on, but for the last month they just hadn't been acting the same around each other. For the first week, even, it seemed like Riku was avoiding his boyfriend. Now they were always together like before, but there was a palpable tension in the air and the older of the two never seemed able to make eye contact with any of them.

Roxas did his best to not bring up the subject around either of the two, but he discussed it with Axel often enough. His twin was getting exhausted more frequently and the stress was creating worry lines in his brow. If Riku didn't give soon, he was certain his brother would simply break from the pressure.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Leon asked as he sat up on his elbows, gazing over at the blonde that had somehow managed to get him in bed again.

"This situation will have to settled between them," Cloud replied evenly. The brunette knew, though, he could sense it in the slight fluctuations of his voice and the variations in his aura—something Leon had become increasingly aware of.

"If something doesn't give soon they are going to snap," he retorted, not as able to hold back his emotions as his lover.

"Maybe that explosion is just what they need," the vampire remarked, earning him a raised eyebrow from his bedmate. "Change usually comes after destruction, and they are deadlocked in such a stalemate that if something doesn't break they won't go anywhere."

Warm liquid flooded his mouth, soothing his burning throat. The fight in the body in his arms lessened with every drag of his mouth, the lack of blood creating light-headedness until his victim finally just passed out. He continued to draw the life out of her for the next ten seconds until his thirst fully abated, and then the young brunette carefully laid her down against the wall. She looked so peaceful, as if she had just gone done for a short nap, but Sora knew looks could be very deceiving. Had he taken too much? Was she really going to wake up, a little woozy, but alright? This was a person's life he had just gambled with and he was still learning everything about his new body. Logically he knew he hadn't taken enough to cause any serious or permanent damage, but his morality wouldn't let the question drop without some sort of confirmation. And when he turned to his companion…

Riku had finished his meal before the brunette and the young male he had drank from was resting in a couple closed bags of trash. Making the mistake of looking at his lover, the fledgling became fixated on the sight before him. Sora's red eyes were intoxication and there was something arousing about the fluid motion of his throat as he devoured his victim's blood. He wanted nothing more than to stalk up behind the boy and trap him in his arms, use one hand to dislodge him from the person he was drinking from and force his tongue into that mouth, tasting both the sweet flavor he knew belonged to his lover and the coppery tang of human blood.

He nearly threw up at the vivid image in his head. Had his body allowed it he would have, but his instincts would not let him expel the lifeblood he needed.

Tears started to form in Sora's eyes. When he looked to his lover, his _sire_, for confirmation that the woman would be okay the older male fell to his knees and was doing his best to prevent himself from becoming sick. Just from looking at him. The emotional blow knocked him to the ground, sitting on his knees and trying his hardest to simply disappear into a little ball that could hide from the messed up reality he was suddenly thrust into. He had become like the man he loved more than life itself—literally, since he was now technically _undead_—but rather then bring them closer it just drove them farther apart. He was losing the one thing he did not want to lose.

"Sora?" the silverette asked, hearing the quiet sobs. "S-Sore, please don't cry," he begged, crawling over to the younger fledgling and gently grasping his shoulders. "I—"

"I can't keep doing this, Riku!" the brunette shouted suddenly, startling the bartender. "I can barely hold myself up, how can I support you as well? Every time I look to you for guidance I find myself having to drag you out of some pit and I don't have the energy to keep doing this! I know you feel bad for turning me, but I can only help you so much before I finally…" He trailed off, unable to control his sobs anymore. The scent of his lover calmed them down a little, and burying his face in the silverette's shirt helped a bit, too, but Sora was completely and totally emotionally drained.

Riku couldn't say he had ever seen Sora cry. The teenager had always been so optimistic and cheerful that he realized a part of him had started to wonder if anything could bring the boy down. And that part had taken advantage of his best friend. Rather than face his problems he shoved them off and forced Sora to pick them up and carry them until he finally broke. _I spent the entire time wallowing in self-pity… while Sora was desperately trying to pick up the pieces I left behind_, he realized, tentatively wrapping his arms around the smaller boy in a strong hug. He let out a contented sigh between sniffles and grasped at the fabric covering Riku's back.

Taking a deep breath, he started, "Sora, I… How do I get passed… what I did to you?"

The brunette took a moment to calm himself. "What can you do about the past?" he asked once he felt he could keep his voice even. "The answer is nothing. What's passed is past, and it can't be changed. Rather than dwell on it you have to look at the present, to what is happening now, and ahead, at what needs to be done. I'm not dead. I'm still here and I still love you. And I don't want you to go." He lost control again with the last two sentences, his voice fluctuating as his emotions flooded over again. Tears once again moistened his eyes and his nose started to run so he rubbed it clean on Riku's shirt.

_What is happening now_, he repeated in his head, stroking a spiky clump of brunette hair. _I have done nothing but lean on Sora. Even when I first turned I looked to him for support and he held me up. I have to help him this time._ That is when Sora rubbed his nose on his shirt. Hoping to bring a smile back to the boy's face—which looked so much better there than tears—he indignantly jested, "Hey, this is my favorite shirt."

Not expecting humor from his more-so-than-usual stoic boyfriend, it managed to startle his tears away. Looking up into the vampire's face, he could tell the smile was a difficult one to hold but he was doing a marvelous job at it. But it slowly fell when he saw the worried expression on the brunette's face. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Gripping his shirt a little tighter, Sora started, "I know… I know that you are still unsure about all of this, but we have to tell them." Slightly tremors traveled through his arms, but enough to cause slight vibrations, as he spoke. "I can't keep my parents in the dark any longer."

Swallowing thickly, Riku averted his gaze to the ground and asked, "When were you planning—"

"Tonight," Sora interrupted. Also watching the cement walkway, he added in a stutter, "O-or tomorrow morning, maybe. Just… now, as in within the next few days."

"Tonight works," Riku replied, glancing sidelong back at his boyfriend. "Before I lose my nerve."

Giving him an apologetic smile, Sora leaned in quickly and gave him a peck on the lips before getting to his feet and offering the older vampire a hand. Accepting the offered hand, he stood as well and pulled his lover back into a hug. "Thank you, for standing by me on this," Sora whispered.

Rubbing his back to comfort him, Riku replied, "That's what a boyfriend is for." Hearing the male he had drink from start to stir, he broke their embrace and encased the brunette's hand in his own. Leading him down to the end, he waited just long enough to make sure the man was actually waking before heading off towards his lover's residence.

* * *

They were both thankful that no one else was home at the moment. Leon, they knew, was at Riku's with Cloud, most likely fighting off round two, but the other two they could only guess. _Maybe making up for the movie and night out that got interrupted_, Sora thought. The situation was going to be tense enough as it was, he didn't want his brother to listen in; or worse, join in. His mother hated having secrets kept from her, and if she learned immediately that they all knew then it would only make her more hostile. "Are you sure we should wake them?" the brunette asked.

Without responding, Riku knocked on their bedroom door. "This time, I'll hold you up," he cooed quietly, gripping Sora's hand a little tighter. Heavy footsteps approached the wooden portal, and when it finally opened the woman was rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

"Son, what it is?" she asked groggily, holding one hand over her mouth as she yawned.

"We need to talk to you," he stated slowly. "Both… of you."

The dread lacing his words partially woke her from her stupor, and she replied in a serious tone with, "And it couldn't wait until morning?"

Shaking his head, Sora said, "Now, before I lose my nerve. We'll be in the living room."

The scene was very familiar to Riku, except the players in it had changed. He was sitting next to Sora on the couch while the brunette's parents sat across from them, just as it had been when Cloud had him reveal his condition to his own parents. "Okay, we're here," she said, by this point entirely awake. "What was so important—or terrible—that you had to tell us now."

Worrying his lower lip for a moment, and thankful to his mother for not interrupting while he gathered his courage, he finally decided to just get it out. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he stated matter-of-factly, "I'm a vampire."

Dumbstruck, they sat in silence for a minute before his mother regained her cognitive thinking. "Sora, have you been watching scary movies again? You know they give you nightmares," she sighed, rubbing her eyes and shaking her head. That was the only logical conclusion she could come up with.

"I haven't gotten nightmares in years, Mom," Sora shot back, insulted that she wasn't taking this seriously. The harshness of his tone made her look up at him in surprise. "I'm not playing around."

Slowly their eyes widened and their mouths dropped open. Their son's eyes had turned a bright crimson and the determined look in them diminished to something feeble and scared. They regained some of their vigor when his boyfriend placed and arm over his should and pulled him closer so he was leaning into him, but that spark of fear never fully left. Stunned for the third time in the last half a minute, the older woman could do nothing more than open and close her mouth like a fish out of water. She barely managed to get out, "H-how?"

"It was an accident," the fledgling started, mouth closed enough that his fangs weren't visible. "Riku lost control and turned me."

"Riku?" his father said harshly, finally joining in the conversation. Both adults turned accusatory eyes on him, making him flinch and press back into the couch.

"Dad, it's my fault, too," Sora defended, leaning as far in front of the silverette as possible without falling in his lap. "I was the one who planned everything, who set it up. I was the one who forgot to think about the last time Riku had drank."

Focusing back on her son, his mother inquired, "So you do have to drink blood? Does that mean you have fangs?" Nodding slowly, he opened his mouth wide to show her his elongated canines. She started to reach forward to touch one, but changed her mind halfway through the motion and pulled her hand back. "How long? For you and him?"

Shifting nervously, the teenager partially gave up his answer. He wouldn't be so uneasy about telling her if it had happened just a few days before. "One month," he finally said after a moment. He could see the disappointment rising in her face, and before she could explode at him he added, "And Riku's been a vampire since before we started dating, although I didn't know until several weeks afterwards."

"What happened that made him change you now, then?" his dad asked quickly to keep his wife from shouting at the two. As serious—and difficult—as the conversation was he knew that it wouldn't stop her from chewing her son out for keeping such a huge secret.

Color creeping into his face, Sora tried to quickly come up with some way to explain it without going into exact detail. "C-can I possibly not tell you exactly?" he stuttered. They both knew he was in a relationship with Riku, but it was a completely different matter to tell them he was sleeping with the other male. There was a huge difference, as well, between telling his mother that and telling his father.

Inhaling deeply to calm herself, the brunette's mother calmly asked, "You had sex, didn't you?" A slight nod. Two sets of irate eyes turned back to the silverette, who cowered away with guilt. They didn't need to say it, for he already knew; they had expected more responsibility from him.

Pushing passed his apprehension, he began, "There are things I need to tell you guys, things the vampire helping me told my parents when I was turned."

"You mean they have known about this all along?" Sora's mother interrupted.

"They learned not long after Sora did," he replied, holding his hands up defensively. "So they didn't know at first, and I was still coming to terms with it so they agreed to not tell anyone. But what I can tell you will help Sora out greatly, believe me on this."

Riku did not miss that it was with some reluctance that they agreed. They were still quite ashamed with him for what he had done.

* * *

I wanted to make someone not just accept that some characters get changed into vampires, and I felt that Sora's parents would get a lot more upset about important secrets being kept from them considering his is given so much freedom. Their relationship is based on so much trust that it would hurt deeply to be kept out of the loop so, and as parents I figured they wouldn't so easily forgive Riku for being the cause of it.

As usual, reviews are luffed and appreciated, but in no way required.


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